Social Class & Origin

Overview


Upon character creation, every PC must select Social Class and Origin by interacting with the starting window available in the OOC Starting Zone.

In the context of TDN, Social Class primarily dictates the apparent social standing of every PC existing in a predominantly human dominated region, the Lands of Intrigue; in particular the countries of Amn and Tethyr. This is not a blanket catch-all mark or indication of a PC's relations, notoriety, or infamy within the scope of the server. For such specifics, we will be leveraging a separate system called Reputation (link TBD).

Chiefly, in terms of roleplay purposes, the intention of this system is to establish and remind players how the setting will perceive and treat a PC in general circumstances, as well as to help DMs in tracking and immediately making use of a PC's Social Class within DM interaction where applicable. It's possible for PCs to both fall and rise in station, entirely through RP and staff discretion - as such a PC's Social Class can originate from either birth or circumstance from the get-go and/or be changed along the lifespan of a character. There are very few hard setting restrictions when it comes to races and Social Classes, however demihumans in the Lands of Intrigue tend to reach the Middle echelons of society at best, and currently elves are unable to reach higher than Serf in both Amn and Tethyr due to pre-existing prejudices and ill history between both ethnic groups of humans and the elves themselves.

Mechanically, a PC's Social Class and Origin also intertwine with the Taxes & Licenses system, affecting costs, as well as benefits and downsides received for all three tiers. For mechanical details on this, please review the Mechanical Impacts section, and for roleplay implications and expectations, please review both the Origin and Social Class sections.

For purposes of feigned or unknown (to the PC) Social Class, PCs falling under either of these categories should pick the Social Class feat that they're attempting to pass themselves off as or otherwise outwardly belong to. Should the need ever arise for changes, DMs are able to adjust a PC's Social Class on request, but please keep in mind that this will be considered on a case-to-case basis, rather than being guaranteed. For example, a PC posing as a Foreign Serf who is eventually outed to be a native charlatan running from justice, will be guaranteed to receive a Social Class change, whereas an established PC with a sudden OOC change of heart would be unlikely to receive a Social Class change.



Origin



Amn
Description: Hailing from Amn, whether from the North or South, you are for all intents and purposes a native of the land.
OOC addendum: While anyone can freely pick this Origin, it's highly recommended that you only do so if you are well-versed in TDN's setting and lore, both canon and homebrew. A PC of this Origin will be able to fit into day-to-day crowds better and may be overlooked more easily, as well as being able to communicate better with the masses on average.



Tethyr
Description: Hailing from Tethyr, whether from the North or South, you are for all intents and purposes a native of the land.
OOC addendum: While anyone can freely pick this Origin, it's highly recommended that you only do so if you are well-versed in TDN's setting and lore, both canon and homebrew. A PC of this Origin will be able to fit into day-to-day crowds better and may be overlooked more easily, as well as being able to communicate better with the masses on average. Note: elves native to the Wealdath mechanically belong to this Origin by default, please choose this if you intend to play one such PC.



Foreign
Description: Hailing from lands either distant or near, you are not native to Amn or Tethyr and are thus seen as an outsider.
OOC addendum: While this Origin is the easiest for new players, a PC of Foreign Origin may not be able to fit into day-to-day crowds and may be not overlooked as much as others, if at all, as well as possibly suffering from communication issues with the masses or otherwise. A PC of this Origin cannot be current nobility in their background, however former / disowned nobility is acceptable. The range of Social Class players initially choose from is dictated by their Origin. As an example: A Tethyrian Citizen would only have the option to become a Commoner of Amn, whereas a Foreign Citizen would only have the ability to ever become a Serf within Amn without DM intervention and IC advancement.



Social Class



Serf
Description: Whether by birth or circumstance, you are of the lowest echelons of society within the Lands of Intrigue.
OOC addendum: A PC of this Social Class, particularly when combined with Amnian or Tethyrian Origin, will be able to fit into day-to-day crowds better and may be overlooked more easily, as well as being able to communicate better with the masses on average.



Commoner
Description: Whether by birth or circumstance, you are of the lower echelons of society within the Lands of Intrigue.
OOC addendum: A PC of this Social Class, particularly when combined with Amnian or Tethyrian Origin, will be able to fit into day-to-day crowds better and may be overlooked more easily, as well as being able to communicate better with the masses on average.



Citizen
Description: Whether by birth or circumstance, you are of the middle echelons of society within the Lands of Intrigue.
OOC addendum: A PC of this Social Class is typically from a respected or wealthy background, but not to the same extent of nobility. To be clear, being a Citizen does not entail any kind of guaranteed benefits. This Social Class, when combined with Amnian or Tethyrian Origin, will be able to fit into day-to-day crowds better and may be overlooked more easily, as well as being able to communicate better with the masses on average, though overall to a lesser degree compared to local Commoners or Serfs.



Mechanical Impacts


Note: The following information is not at all necessary for players to know, it is listed and detailed here solely for the sake of transparency. It is completely viable to skip this section altogether.

Country of OriginModifier
Local+0
1-Step (I.e. Amn to Tethyr / Tethyr to Amn)-1
2-Step (Foreign)-2


Social Class status is based on Origin & modifiers are in play if a PC is not from the country they are operating within. For example, A Tethyrian Citizen would only be looked at as a Commoner in Amn. A Foreign Noble would only be looked at as a Serf in Amn. Due to proximity, Amn and Tethyr only have a -1 adjustment.
  1. Taxation NPCs.
  2. Amn/Tethyr Caravans.
  3. Fame/Infamy/Reputation.
  4. Merchant Prices.
  • A PC receives a modifier in a given country that impacts Fame/Infamy/Reputation. I.e. A PC from Tethyr would have a slightly more difficult time establishing Fame/Reputation in Amn than a PC from Amn.
    • Alternatively, a PC from Tethyr would have an easier time establishing notoriety and infamy in Amn compared to a PC from Amn.
    • A Foreign PC would have the most difficulty establishing Fame/Reputation, yet has the easiest time establishing notoriety and infamy in Amn or Tethyr.
  • Nobles and Citizens, regardless of Origin, pay more at merchants across the server and suffer from increased Taxation prices, while Serfs and Commoners do not.
  • Origin Impact on Tethyr/Amn:
    • As an example: A PC from Tethyr upon character creation would only have the option to become a Commoner of Amn at best, whereas a Foreign PC upon character creation would only have the ability to ever become a Serf within Amn and Tethyr without DM intervention.


Fame
- Only impacted by Social Class since this is a singular scale and not related to country (reputation is country-based).
Social Class
Serf: -1 Towards Fame & +2 Towards Infamy
Commoner: No Change towards Fame, No Change for Infamy
Citizen: +1 Towards Fame, -1 Towards Infamy



Reputation
Minus towards gaining Rep = harder to gain Rep
Plus towards losing Rep = easier to lose Rep



Origin
Local-To-Region: No Change.
1-Step (to Amn, or Tethyr): -1 Towards Gaining Rep, +1 Towards Losing Rep (In other words, it is easier to become notorious if you're from another country)
Foreign: -2 Towards Gaining Rep, +2 Towards Losing Rep



Social Class
Serf: -1 Towards Gaining Rep & +2 Towards Losing Rep
Commoner: No Change towards Gaining Rep, No Change for Losing Rep
Citizen: +1 Towards Gaining Rep, -1 Towards Losing Rep


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