Epic Levels

Epic levels are a recognition based reward on Thain for both a character and their player, based on contributions to the stories of others and the perceived quality and complexity of one’s own character story. It is a broadly subjective reward that Thain Staff privately nominates and votes for based on what we see a player or character doing in the world.

A significant portion of longtime and active Thain players have seen at least one epic (21+) character. Typically a character is played for at least six months before they are due consideration – a vote that does not successfully epic a character does not preclude their ever being nominated again, and many characters who staff decided to “wait and see” have gone on to earn epic on their next vote, sometimes as little as a month later.

Epics are something we encourage players to strive for, but we discourage players from obsessing over or tailoring their RP toward. Instead of seeing epic in particular as a box to be checked, we encourage players to constantly try to one-up their last event, raise the bar with each character moment, focus on the continuous development of their own stories and the stories of others, and actively seek out feedback for their own growth as a storyteller. There is no magic epic formula – a character is or is not epic based on a traditionally subjective set of criteria. There are, however, a number of common disqualifiers that have emerged over the years:

Because epic is a visible and aspirational part of the community process, players who are OOCly disruptive, create heavy interpersonal drama, or otherwise create friction within the Thain community are almost never epic candidates.
Characters that constantly seek to win conflict stories through power, characters that frequently “solve” all their problems with mechanics, or characters that excessively build their story around their PvE mechanical strength in ways that feel as though they make the setting feel trivial will never be given the additional mechanical power epic levels provide. This does not mean that optimized characters cannot become epic many, many epic characters have been heavily optimized in the past; it is in how we see you using power, and whether or not you use the power or lack thereof that you have to add to a story rather than subtract from it.
Characters that have a pattern of disruptively joining scenes that are not suitable for them, derail the events of others, or otherwise OOCly complicate the mission of storytelling will rarely be given broader latitude to do so. Epic is a reward not just of storytelling but of overall behavior.
Characters who put a heavy emphasis on sexuality, 1-1 romantic play, or romantic drama to the exclusion of other stories.

How It Works

Epic levels are given in the form of Stones, inventory items that raise the character’s maximum level to four breakpoints: 21,23,26, and 30; they typically accompany a major event in which the staff gives a character further complications to their story to continue, and involves some sort of special item for the character that recognizes their themes and helps them grow those themes beyond the limited base mechanics of the game in some way.

Categorically, there are some broad expectations around epic levels that have emerged over the years. Again, this is not a guide to becoming epic, but a consistent pattern of behavior in past epic individuals:

21: The 21 Promise Stone can be awarded for a wide variety of community engagements, but it is foremost that: A stone of promise, a recognition of potential and not the final level of recognition in a character. Staff might wish to recognize storytelling growth, personal improvement, a history of strong storytelling and active player events, an especially engaging character storyline, or the persistent representation of an archetype or character that we feel adds significantly to the world through their presence, that it is otherwise lacking. Staff might wish to recognize the community contributions of an active player builder who is raising the bar in unexpected ways, who has taken large steps toward helping define parts of Thain with their role play and their contributions to the module world. The cornerstone of all 21 characters is that both as a player and a character, the individual has something we are eager to see more of.

Some things we especially consider for a 21 stone:

Is the character consistently in-character? Do they treat the world as a world, or as thin facade over an action video game?
Do the character’s actions consistently show some central theme or idea? Do we have a clear understanding of their goals and motivations?
Is the character someone we consistently enjoy having in scenes? Can they support other stories as well as start stories of their own?
Is the player pleasant to work with OOC and who will be a great representative of Thain’s culture to newer players?
Does the player/character handle conflict and losing well, both IC and OOC?
Does the character feel like a good fit for the setting of Thain? Do they have clear connections to the island (a faction, a location, etc.)?

23: A 23 character has all the qualities of the above, and more. Staff frequently wants to see an active engagement in larger stories, as well as the active attempt to pitch individualized or open stories to others. A 23 character should feel like a strong addition to any scene that is suitable for them, rarely missing an opportunity to make a scene more engaging. They should make attempts to engage others. They should feel actively engaged in self-improvement. They should feel representative of some aspect of element of the setting, synonymous with parts of it, such that others regularly seek them out. They rarely “solve” situations with their already additional epic strength but instead introduce further complications and challenges to others, making the story more enjoyable for everyone.

26: A 26 character has on some level mastered both participating in and running their own events for others. They are a strong addition to any scene that is suitable for them, they have a good sense for which scenes those are, and they are consistently and persistently pulling others into stories. Their story and character arcs are both discernable at a glance and complex / engaging. They seem actively engaged with the mission of Thain and frequently find ways to pitch stories to others, even those outside of their own story bubble, simply for love of doing so.

30: A 30 character has likely reached imminent retirement, and the 26 player using the character has shown signs of understanding this and tailoring their story toward it. 30 characters have only happened a few times on Thain’s broad history, and it is generally the final reward that an extremely long time and celebrated character gets as their crowning achievement before they lower the curtain. 30 Characters have long exemplified all the epic qualities and drive not only their own story, but the story of much of Thain wielding the high responsibilities bestowed on them through previous epic levels.

Artistic Achievement and Frustration

Epic levels are meant to be a personal recognition and a personal accomplishment given by Thain Staff. The Thain staff understands that not meeting the epic bar for a long period of time might feel distressing or concerning. We are always open to conversations about role play – constructive feedback is something we love to give, but something we only rarely give unsolicited. If you are curious about what barriers stand between you and the kind of role play that Thain’s team is actively seeking and rewarding, we encourage you to talk to us, and to further understand what kinds of habits or storytelling choices we’re missing seeing from you.

Please also understand that Thain’s staff are actively engaged in many stories as both players and DMs, but we also watch and monitor the server’s chatlogs daily to keep up with even events that we do not participate in personally. Characters have reached epic before that never had a staff member in their scene, and it is not a requisite of epic that you be friendly with staff members inside or outside of the game – characters that directly oppose and antagonize staff member characters have reached epic as often or more as characters who were friendly toward them. What is most important in any interaction is that it is a strong story, not that it is to the special benefit of any person, player, or staff member.

If you feel someone you regularly role play with has risen to an epic-able level in their storytelling, it’s welcomed to reach out to staff members and speak a bit on their behalf. We love knowing how much players contribute to each other’s stories, and it is often hard to gauge how much you are being personally given to work with through events with others. We encourage players to solicit feedback both from staff and from one another after the conclusion of an event: personal growth is a major part of this reward structure. Questions like “Was there anything you were hoping to see in that scene that you didn’t?” “Was there anything you would do differently?” “Is there something you think I should be more mindful of?” and more can positively contribute to your growth as an artist, and many characters have risen to epic through internalizing the answers to these questions.

No art happens in a vacuum. Every player, even twenty year veterans and staff members, can and should seek self-improvement. Storytelling, especially of the type that happens on Thain, is an uncommon and rare art form that does not happen in many other places, and there is no shame in seeking improvement from others, even if you have been doing this for a long time! Epic is here to reward the outgoing, the growth-oriented, and the contributory.