Rank & Experience

The second function of rank is to provide a social structure for the whole game world of Erdreja, both during events and 'down-time' throughout the year. Basic characters start at rank 1, rather than rank 0, because they are assumed to represent the best of their communities. Whether they are physically strong, magically gifted, have great faith or are renowned for their wisdom and learning, all characters within the game world stand out from the crowd in some way. The general population are the rank 0's in Erdreja; the peasants who work the same piece of land all their lives, the innkeepers who never leave their small village and the many hundreds of people whose lives never affect the greater pattern of events are all rank 0. Player characters have unusual abilities and the potential to achieve great things.

NPC's.
There is a limit to advancement, even in Erdreja. Player characters cannot advance beyond certain ranks in the factions and guilds. For the factions, this limit is set at rank 8, whilst for the guilds it is set at rank 5. The ranks above these are held by NPC's (non-player characters). The people who play NPC's are chosen by the Lorien Trust to fill these positions.

All NPC's, whether they work in the faction and guild commands, or as part of a plot-line, have certain duties and responsibilities, both to their faction, guild or plot and to the Lorien Trust. Players who reach rank 5 or 8 in their guild or faction are not automatically offered NPC positions; there are a limited number of these jobs available and they usually require a great deal of commitment and time, both in and out of character. Because of this, all decisions on the appointment of NPC's, are made by the Lorien Trust on an out of character basis.

Promotion to an NPC rank is not part of a natural progression; for the purposes of role playing ambition, it is usually best to assume that the highest rank to which your character can aspire is rank 5 in a guild and rank 8 in a faction.

It should be remembered that 'rank' is the out of character term for someone's status level. The correct term for a character's standing within a faction or guild is the title, which has been bestowed upon them.

At each rank that is attained in a faction or guild, a character gains the ability to learn a new skill from the appropriate rank skill list, provided they spend the requisite amount of OSP's. Skills bought in this way (by achieving the required prerequisite rank and, if necessary, having the appropriate basic skill) cost less than they would, should the character attempt to learn the skill alone. This represents the greater access a character would get to methods of training and expert teaching at their new level of social standing and responsibility. See the booklet Occupational Skills: A Guide to Advancement for more information on the available skills.

Rights and Privileges.
At the higher ranks in the factions, there are certain rights and privileges bestowed upon the character for as long as they hold the rank. These privileges are listed below.

Lists of the skills that are available to characters holding rank in the guilds are published in the supplemental booklet Occupational Skills: A Guide to Advancement.

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