📜 Faction Leader Pact - Rules of War, Diplomacy & Conduct

[Tyler]

As a faction leader, you are expected to uphold a certain level of decency when it comes to Roleplay. Faction leaders are expected to lead through diplomacy, policy and orders, while you still may participate in raids, shootouts and other wasteland wonders, you are required to roleplay to a higher level than other players, even if it means you can only play-to-lose through the current situation.

This pact is mandatory for all Faction Leaders, Co-Leaders, Command Staff, and any player acting under delegated authority.
These rules exist to prevent abuse, bad-faith roleplay, and mechanical exploitation under the guise of diplomacy.

Ignorance is not a defense. Leadership is strictly liable.

1. Applicability & Liability​

1.1 These rules apply to:

• Faction Leaders
• Second-in-Command
• Officers with authority to negotiate, declare war, or conduct diplomacy

1.2 Leadership is fully responsible for actions taken by:

• Delegates
• Envoys
• Escorts
• Sub-faction elements acting on their orders

1.3 “I didn’t order it” is not a valid defense if the action benefited your faction.

2. Mandatory Communication Availability​

2.1 All factions must maintain at least one IC communication method available at all times.
2.2 War, hostility, or prior conflict does not remove the obligation to communicate.
2.3 Refusing all diplomacy is considered bad-faith roleplay.

3. Definition of Protected Diplomatic Actions​

The following are protected interactions once agreed to IC:

• Meetings / Parley
• Envoy Talks
• Prisoner Exchanges
• Trade Negotiations
• Ceasefire Talks
• Mediation by a Neutral Party

Once initiated, these interactions are non-hostile by rule, not by trust.

​

4. Absolute Prohibitions (NO EXCEPTIONS)​

The following actions are explicitly forbidden during or in relation to protected diplomatic actions:

4.1 Ambushing, attacking, arresting, or detaining participants
4.2 Planting explosives, trackers, beacons, or surveillance
4.3 Gathering intelligence for immediate or delayed military use
4.4 Using diplomacy to bait movement, timing, or attendance
4.5 Using trade, meetings, or swaps as pretext for raids
4.6 Swapping fake prisoners, decoys, or substitutes
4.7 Changing terms once participants are en route
4.8 Using neutral zones as staging areas or fallback positions
4.9 Calling in reinforcements during diplomacy
4.10 Claiming “IC betrayal” to justify rule violations

If diplomacy is used to create combat, you are in violation.

5. Safe Conduct Enforcement​

5.1 All participants are under temporary safe conduct from:

• Arrival
• Duration of interaction
• Reasonable departure window

5.2 Weapons must remain holstered unless:

• Explicitly agreed upon IC by all parties
• Pre-approved by staff

5.3 Escorts are limited to defensive presence only and must remain at agreed distances.

Any hostile action voids the pact and triggers enforcement.

6. Prisoner Exchange Rules (STRICT)​

6.1 Prisoners must be:

• The agreed individuals
• Alive
• Unharmed by you or allies during transfer

6.2 No tracking devices, restraints beyond safety, or coercion during exchange.
6.3 Prisoners may not be re-arrested for a reasonable time post-release.
6.4 Fake exchanges or “double-cross” attempts are zero-tolerance violations.

7. Trade & Resource Exchanges​

7.1 Trade interactions are non-hostile by default.
7.2 Trades cannot be used to:

• Mark targets
• Scout defenses
• Delay while forces mobilize
  7.3 Cancelling a trade mid-interaction to attack is prohibited.

8. Neutral Parties & Locations​

8.1 Neutral mediators are protected entities.
8.2 Attacking, coercing, threatening, or deceiving mediators is forbidden.
8.3 Neutral locations are combat-locked:

• Before
• During
• Immediately after diplomacy

Violations here are considered aggravated offenses.

9. Escalation & War Declarations​

9.1 Major hostilities require:

• IC justification
• Clear escalation trail
  9.2 Leadership may not use diplomacy to fabricate justification.
  9.3 Surprise total war without buildup may be denied or rolled back.

10. Enforcement & Punishment​

Violations may result in one or more of the following:

• Immediate termination of the interaction
• Forced RP rollback or retcon
• Loss of diplomatic privileges
• Leadership removal
• Faction sanctions
• Individual bans or wipes

Severity is based on impact, not intent.

11. Final Rule​

11.1 These rules override all “but technically” arguments.
11.2 Any attempt to exploit wording will be ruled against the exploiter.
11.3 Staff interpretation is final.

If you want to play at leadership level,
you play clean or you don’t play.

Happy Wastelanding!

~

 

[Valandriel]

[ Concerns about this post ]

1.3 - The whole term behind "I didn't order it, is not a valid excuse". So let me ask this then, what if we didn't actually order it. Like what if myself, my XO and my Officers are planning something, but no orders were given, and a squad decides to go rogue and actually do something that wasn't ordered that actually worked out and it did benefit the faction, are we at fault for not honestly knowing or giving an order? Because in my opinion the troopers should be held accountable before the Faction Leaders because that can be exploited to get a Faction Leader, XO or Officers removed from the Faction.

4.3 - Gathering Intelligence, If relations with another faction deteriorate or diplomatic efforts fail, leadership must retain the ability to conduct reconnaissance and scouting in order to protect faction operations and personnel. Scouting is not an act of aggression by default. In a Fallout RP setting, it is a reasonable and necessary precaution when tensions rise and the possibility of conflict becomes realistic. Preventing reconnaissance until after combat has already begun places factions in an illogical and unsafe position and removes strategic depth from leadership RP.

4.9 - Calling in reinforcements during diplomacy; Calling in reinforcements during diplomatic interactions should be strictly limited and non-escalatory in nature. The only circumstance under which reinforcements may be called is when a diplomat’s assigned guards or escorts are required to leave the server or exit the RP environment. In such cases, reinforcements may be deployed solely to ensure the continued safety and security of the diplomat.

Reinforcements called for this purpose are not to be used to apply pressure, intimidate the opposing faction, or escalate the situation. Their presence exists exclusively to replace departing security personnel and maintain the diplomat’s protection. Calling reinforcements for any other reason during diplomacy—particularly to influence negotiations or posture militarily—should be considered improper use and contrary to the intent of protected diplomatic interactions.


6.3 - I understand about a prisoner is not to be re-arrested by a reasonable time, but if that player or individual is deliberately stepping onto a factions territory like right at or inside of their base, they should be arrested if they are intentionally being a nuusense.

7.1-7.3 - In Fallout Traders are always robbed by Raideres & Fiends, so I don't understand about this. Raiders are Raiders its in their name.


9.2 - Leadership may not use diplomacy to fabricate justification, thats pretty much telling us, we can't ever tell them we are at war, during diplomacy because its not a justifiable reason. I have a fix for this.
- Leadership may not engage in bad-faith diplomacy for the sole purpose of manufacturing conflict. However, diplomacy conducted in good faith may legitimately fail, and such failure may influence faction relations if supported by in-character reasoning and RP conduct.

10.3 - Loss of Diplomatic Privileges, This needs more context as is the context in question referring to the player or the faction overall?