The Highguard - The revival

Guys,
As most of you know i have been absent of late that however doesn't mean i haven't been productive, Having dived into the world of the gloriously outdated and painstaking NwN Toolset i am now at a point where i can say a fresh overhaul of the entire HighGuard structure, Guild house, Guards, And lore (not a change as such but some will become more commonly known) is underway and roughly at 25% completion.

Currently Working ON:

• The guild house/barracks will be done away with and recreated in its entirety (It will remain in the same location however).
  
• The NPC's will be given a fresh look and a new set of more guild related levels.
  
• The introduction of a complete Rank System will be added. (to be able to distinguish between guards and captains etc..
  
• More prominent NPC's will be created and added to the guild for RP purposes and structure
  
• PC's will be able to work through the ranks upon completion of duties (some class specific)
  

Well thats all for now i dont want to give too much away but just wanted to let you all know i am here just in the background. If you have any specific ideas or wish to contribute in some form or another leave a post and lets get this done as a community!
And as always - This is all down to GM_Oda's approval

Friend Perrin,
Remaking the Highguard HQ is acceptable - please try to maintain our standard build method to include:

Try to make interior and exterior match. When building an interior, I make it 2x the dimensions of the exterior building - this helps simulate missile range changes indoors AND ensures that doors line up from interior to exterior on the tiles.

Try to make interior windows (placeable or waypoint) to match the exterior shown windows. We'll make sure the Highguard have excellent locks, but need to have these in the right places for those bold rogues who would break a window to get in.

Have fun. Much builder applicable lore found in the DM DOC appendices btw. If you have questions, PM me.

Friends as the original post states i am once again working on the Highguard. Due to updating my laptop to Windows 10 however I've lost all my previous work so i will be starting from scratch, This is a minor setback however it allows YOU THE PLAYERS to add your input and ideas! You want the Guild house to incorporate a bathing area? Let me know!, You want the Highguard colors to be pink and blue? Let me know! (that wont happen though lol). You have an idea on the rank structure you wish to see implemented? I'm open to every single kind of suggestion and pending approval first from myself and then from the higher beings that guard over us it may be implemented!

Now is the chance for you to make a more permanent stamp on the server you have come to love so get involved!

Teaser ~ Along with the revamp will be the introduction of a Guild Specific quest line. Assuming you show your devotion to the guild and have sufficient knowledge of the Highguard and how it became what it is today then new doors will begin to open for your PC.


*Thread moved here for all to see, Thanks oda*

Guys WHAT WOULD YOU THE PLAYER like to see involved with this? Im getting no feedback and no interest which as far as i can tell means im not making it interesting enough for YOU! This is basically an open door at the minute which im running with (Im more than happy to do this alone) However i want to know what you guys think of the Highguard. How would you change them? I doubt many even interact with them which is one thing im planning on changing! Well leave your comments here if you wish.

Maybe post exactly what their role would be.

Are they just a group of adventurers, mercenaries or are they actually guards to help enforce the laws of the land?

If they are to be "law enforcers", openly explain what they can and cannot do.

I play on a world where there are actual legionnaires and they do have limited powers to enforce the laws of the land.

However there are checks and balances in place so there is no abuse of power and ways to report it.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

For you to advance in rank you need to be a Paladin iirc... So we have a lot of temples in Dohral, to show respect for each one of all Dohralian people's faith, I recommend that it should be allowed to all Paladins to rank up, not only the ones devoted to Finshi.

Why limit it to Paladins only? If so then it should be just a guild with no authority.

You do not have to be a paladin to uphold laws.

Because the Highguard, is not the normal townsguard, the Highguard is pretty much the special forces who first throw themselves against greater threats like demons, ghosts, undead of all kind etc, also the guard who actually bodyguards the most "important" places and people, see the Lord of Dohral for example.

The Highguard, is the higher of guards, and has more influence, power, still limited and bound to oath and code, more reliable than the normal guard, in the eyes of nobility that it, we are not in a democracy in this after all, and need to see these things in context with lore and surrounding conditions.

It is pretty much the same with our nowadays police, with different morals perhaps but they are built up pretty similarly, with our SEK or GSG in germany, special units, used for specific purposes, and with more authority than others.

That is what I have of information on them from oda back then.

Someone who abides strictly to the law; paladins are perfect, so yes, Highguard should be like a holy guard, hence only paladins can go up.

Ok. I would suggest a public posting of what they can or cannot do in game without dm supervision.

It will prevent less in game grief

Hacatsu wrote:Someone who abides strictly to the law; paladins are perfect, so yes, Highguard should be like a holy guard, hence only paladins can go up.

Some paladins are blackguards and some can be lead to the darker aspects.

Taken from playnwn.com:

Primarilly a group of paladins, organized by most historied of Bennin oz Dohral's numerous henchmen. This guild serves their god (Finshi) by guarding both the temple to their god in the city of Dohral and the city itself. Officially this group answers to the High Priest of the temple to Finshi in Dohral, but the commander of the Highguard of Dohral assigns officers to attend the Lord of the City and convey his just orders back to the guild leader.

The Al Dohral Highguard were founded by Ligull Chonda.

This is history notes written up by ODA and can be found in the wiki under 'Timeline':

333- Ligull Chonda is born, given by an unknown mother to the temple of Finshi in Hadabartha.

351- Ligull Chonda joins with Bennin oz Dohral on a mission of mercy delivering needed grain to a famine zone in the west. A friendship was formed and the two traveled the next five years company.

356- Ligull Chonda forms the Highguard of Dohral. This group is 'consecrated' as the first act of the opening of the temple of Finshi.

386- Ligull Chonda dies valiantly in battle against a marauding band of orcs who ambushed his patrol in the northlands beyond the lumbercamps in the Toltaw Forest.




Essentially, this is to do with Lore and History and Worldbuilding. The Highguard were founded by a Paladin of Finshi, and are actually more an order of holy knights that has close connection to the city and also plays 'royal' guard to the Nobles and Lord of Dohral. As Valerion pointed out, these are no mere 'guards'.

Opening up the highguard to all classes completely undermines the history and lore of the highguard. If you want to be an upholder of the law and play guard- join the guards. The highguards are not the city guard. They are an elite  religious faction with political ties. Most of the confusion here seems to be thinking that the Highguard is simply the upper crust of the city guard. It's not. They're two separate groups.

As for debating Paladins- Paladins, by their very nature, must be both Lawful and Good. If they are not both, they are not a Paladin. That is how that works. Arguing that Paladin's can become blackguards is like arguing 'But sometimes bachelors get married, so not all bachelors are  unmarried'. Once they stop being Lawful Good and upholding their code, they stop being paladins, much like a bachelor who gets married stops being a bachelor. It's part of the definition.

Elgate wrote:Taken from playnwn.com:

Primarilly a group of paladins, organized by most historied of Bennin oz Dohral's numerous henchmen. This guild serves their god (Finshi) by guarding both the temple to their god in the city of Dohral and the city itself. Officially this group answers to the High Priest of the temple to Finshi in Dohral, but the commander of the Highguard of Dohral assigns officers to attend the Lord of the City and convey his just orders back to the guild leader.

The Al Dohral Highguard were founded by Ligull Chonda.

This is history notes written up by ODA and can be found in the wiki under 'Timeline':

333- Ligull Chonda is born, given by an unknown mother to the temple of Finshi in Hadabartha.

351- Ligull Chonda joins with Bennin oz Dohral on a mission of mercy delivering needed grain to a famine zone in the west. A friendship was formed and the two traveled the next five years company.

356- Ligull Chonda forms the Highguard of Dohral. This group is 'consecrated' as the first act of the opening of the temple of Finshi.

386- Ligull Chonda dies valiantly in battle against a marauding band of orcs who ambushed his patrol in the northlands beyond the lumbercamps in the Toltaw Forest.




Essentially, this is to do with Lore and History and Worldbuilding. The Highguard were founded by a Paladin of Finshi, and are actually more an Order of holy knights that has close connection to the city and also plays 'royal' guard to the Nobles and Lord of Dohral. As Valerion pointed out, these are no mere 'guards'.

Opening up the highguard to all classes completely undermines the history and lore of the highguard. If you want to be an upholder of the law and play guard- join the guards. The highguards are not the city guard. They are an elite  religious faction with political ties. Most of the confusion here seems to be thinking that the Highguard is simply the upper crust of the guard. It's not. They're two separate groups.

As for debating Paladins- Paladin's, by their very nature must be both Lawful and Good. If they are not both, they are not a Paladin. That is how that works. Arguing that Paladin's can become blackguards is like arguing 'But Sometimes bachelors get married, so not all bachelors are  unmarried'. Once they stop being Lawful Good and upholding their code, hey stop being paladins, much like a bachelor who gets married stops being a bachelor. It's part of the definition.

Elgate i could of not put this better myself, The Highguard are not your run of the mill guard that you can stroll into and simply join. They are an ELITE and STRICT unit that operates withing the city of Dohral, Firstly to protect the Duke and then if they are so ordered to protect the people. As stated above do not join the guards with the intent to join the Highguard as 70% will not meet the criteria, Your PC will either be born with the intent and the lust for more or he/she will not. The guard is a mighty feat to join and currently Absol is doing an excellent job however the Highguard is MORE than that. It stands for everything that is right, Everything the Lord of Dohral believes and everything that is Holy.

Yes i will not deviate from the history as it is not my place to do so, You will at the minimum be a paladin of renown and be of experience, After meeting the criteria that is layed out at a close date to follow you will see what your PC requirements to join the highguard and what will entail within the guard. Bear in mind PC's may level slightly faster than others within the guard, However all are within a rank based structure.