The ranks on the PvP ladder are called rungs. The object is basically to test your PvP prowess against the other fighters in the Realms and attempt to climb to the top of the ladder. The highest ranked player(#1) is on the highest rung of the ladder. To move up, you fight those on the rungs above you... if you win you switch rungs with the person you beat; if you lose, you fall down one rung as you are rebuffed. You can only reach three rungs at a time though... if you fight someone more than three rungs away, the fight is record only.

How to arrange your fight is up to you, but there is also an official way to issue a challenge. When you receive an official challenge, you should arrange a time for the fight within two days... if you delay longer your challenger may be given a win by forfeit. It's up to the winner of the fight to report his victory... the loser need not report his loss.

There are two ladders. The NWN PvP Ladder (i.e. the original main ladder) and the Stomping Grounds (a second or "B" ladder).

A complete list of everyone on both ladders and their ranks and records is posted in the ***PvP Ladder*** folder in the Events, Announcements, and Discussion message board every few days.

LADDER RULES:

***Joining the ladder***

1) To join the PvP Ladder, send email to ST0MPRR (with a zero) and St0mp Chal. You will be sent a copy of the rules, and added to the bottom of the Stomping Grounds ladder. You are not elligible to fight until your name appears on an update of the Stomping Grounds.
1a) The doubles ladder is seperate... to join that ladder send email to Rellikk.
2) Both ladders have a maximum number of participants of 100. A waiting list will be started as needed for the Stomping Grounds ladder. With each ladder update the names from the top of the waiting list will be added to the Stomping Grounds to maintain 100 people.
2a) The NWN PvP Ladder will pick up the top ranked members from the Stomping Grounds ladder (based upon the last update of the Stomping Grounds) each time it is updated to maintain a constant level of 100 people. If the NWN PvP Ladder has 100 or more people on it, no one will be moved from the Stomping Grounds to the NWN PvP Ladder for that update.
3) The waiting list will be maintained and posted along side the ladder updates. You will be sent email when you have been moved onto the ladder from the waiting list.
4) You aren't actually on the PvP Ladder until your name appears in a posted ladder update.
5) You should have killed another player in PvP at least once before you join the PvP ladder. You also need to know how to reach every region in the Realms and where the Triboar Arena is.

***Leaving the ladder***

1) If you go away for long enough you will be dropped from both ladders (see Record Keeping)... but please inform the ladder updater when you leave so your name can be dropped immediately.
2) To retire from the ladder, send email to the person who posted the last ladder update or post in the PvP Ladder folder stating that you retire.
3) When a player retires or is dropped from the ladder, any outstanding challenges are counted against that player as losses by forfeit.
4) The PvP Ladder does honor Death Matches. Any fighter who loses a Death Match in the DM chamber regardless of reason, is subject to ladder removal. Any fighter who loses an agreed upon Death Match elsewhere in the realm, is subject to ladder removal. In either case that person may not rejoin.

***Challenging***

1) You may only challenge people on the same ladder as yourself. There will be no inter-ladder fights honored.
2) To challenge a person, there doesn't need to be a formal request through email... although email will make the challenge official.
3a) If you are on the NWN PvP Ladder; to send an official challenge, send email to the person you want to fight, CC'd to RED IZ. The message should specifically state that the challenge is for a PvP Ladder fight. It's not required, but if you also suggest a time for the fight you might get a quicker response.
3b) If you are on the Stomping Grounds ladder; to send an official challenge, send email to the person you want to fight, CC'd to St0mp Chal. The message should specifically state that the challenge is for a PvP Ladder fight. It's not required, but if you also suggest a time for the fight you might get a quicker response.
4) You can challenge anyone on your ladder... even if they're not within three rungs and even if they're on a lower rung than you are. (Inter-ladder challenges will not be honored!)
5) The person being challenged has the choice of locations.
6) Mass challenges are NOT allowed. You may challenge one person per email.
7) After challenging someone and losing, you must wait 1 week before challenging that fighter again.
8) After being challenged and defeated you must wait 1 day before challenging the person who just beat you.
9) If you challenge someone or are challenged by someone and win, you must wait one day before challenging the person you beat.
10) All challenges must be answered within two days, regardless of the status of any other pending challenges. The response must suggest at least one time when you will be available to fight.

***Forfeits***

1) If you send an official challenge and the other person does not respond within two days, then you may call for a forfeit up to ten days later.
2a) If you are on the NWN PvP Ladder; To call for a forfeit, send email to the challenged party, CC'd to RED IZ, letting them know that it has been two days and that they have not responded. After two more days, if there is still no response, send in the forfeit request to RED IZ CC'd to the challenged party. (There will be flexibility given to the person who is being challenged IF they are showing effort to make the battle).
2b) If you are on the Stomping Grounds Ladder; To call for a forfeit, send email to the challenged party, CC'd to St0mp Chal, letting them know that it has been two days and that they have not responded. After two more days, if there is still no response, send in the forfeit request to St0mp Chal CC'd to the challenged party. (There will be flexibility given to the person who is being challenged IF they are showing effort to make the battle).
3) When a fight is scheduled and agreed upon by both participants, there is a 1 hour grace-period before a forfeit is awarded. (In other words, if A agrees to meet B at 9:00pm EST Wed and A is more than an hour late, B is given the win.)
4) If the location of the fight was given one day ahead of time, your opponent must reach the right region within that same hour.
5) You must be able to at least reach the region (or surface region) where the fight will take place. If you can get that close but can't find the location, it's up to your opponent to help you reach the spot. If you can't get even that close you will forfeit the fight.
6) It's best to state the time zone when arranging a fight time... but if none is specified, all times are assumed to be Eastern Time. If you don't live on the East Coast, be careful to note the time difference.

***Planned Absence***

1) If you will be on vacation or otherwise unavailable, you should make a post in the PvP Ladder folder stating what dates you will be unavailable. You won't be required to respond to any challenges during that time. However, you must still respond to any challenges that were mailed before you posted.
2) Being unavailable for challenges will NOT keep you from being dropped three rungs for inactivity every two weeks, and will NOT keep you from being dropped completely off the ladder after two consecutive three rung drops.
3) You may not issue challenges, fight ladder fights, or receive forfeits while you are unavailable for challenges. (If you return earlier than expected and want to fight again, you should post your return as well).
4) Only Real Life(tm) situations are good excuses. You may not declare yourself unavailable in order to re-roll and re-max your character, for example.

***Record Keeping***

1a) If you are on the NWN PvP Ladder; The winner of the fight must email the win to Ladder NWN. That email should ALSO be CC'd to Ladderwin2 as a back-up. The winner must also CC the loser. All email that is sent from fighters stating that they lost a battle will not be used for record keeping purposes.
1b) If you are on the Stomping Grounds Ladder; The winner of the fight must email the win to ST0MPRR. The winner must also CC the loser. All email that is sent from fighters stating that they lost a battle will not be used for record keeping purposes.
2) The time of the fight will be recorded using the time stamp on the email. (When the mail was sent.) In short, it would behoove you to mail in the outcome of a fight as soon as it is done.
3) Victories not reported within two days of the actual fight will not be counted.
4) If you beat someone one to three ranks above you, you switch rungs with that person. If you lose to someone one to three ranks above you, you switch rungs with the person below you. If you fight someone more than three ranks away, your position on the ladder does not change.
5) There is no limit to how many fights you can have within a given period of time.
6) There is a minimal level of activity enforced every two weeks (on the 15th and the last day of each month): if you fail to fight during the two week period you will be dropped three rungs. Two consecutive three rung drops for inactivity, you will be removed from the ladder. Winning by forfeit will still count as completing the activity requirements.
7) After losing by forfeit three times sequentially, you will have one week to offer an explanation. After that week, you will be dropped from the ladder.
8) Unknown users will be dropped from the ladder within one week, unless that player somehow informs the ladder updater that he plans to return soon.

***Fight Rules***

Any rules may be used if *both* opponents agree to them before the battle. If both opponents can't come to an agreement before the fight starts then the standard rules (listed below) are used. These rules are standard, and will always be assumed unless explicitly changed.

1) NO DIR SIL: Don't cast the Silence 15' Radius spell at your opponent.
2) NO DIR DIS: Don't cast a Dispel Magic spell at your opponent, or at any of the 8 squares adjacent to your opponent. On the doubles ladder, you may DIS an opponent IF your partner is Held, Fumbled, or Charmed and you DIS your partner at the same time you DIS your opponent.
3) The Sewers and Islands cannot be chosen as the place of battle unless both fighters agree (due to the possible difficulty of making it to said locations). Other unacceptable locations:
a) Inaccessible areas (such as 9,15 Triboar or 5,14 Triboar)
b) The Death Match area
c) Locations so remote that you can't explain to your opponent how to get there from the nearest inn
d) Locations not next to a wall where the fight can't be triggered by stepping onto that spot or five minutes of resting at that spot
4) If the fight can't be triggered at the scheduled time, a different location in the same region must be chosen.

***Victory***

1) Victory is simple: you win if your opponent dies. But there are some rules...
2) If you cast a prohibited spell (DIR DIS, DIR SIL, or a rule both fighters agreed upon), you lose that fight immediately. You lose even if your opponent is unaffected.
3) If you CAD or Punt that constitutes a win for the other person (period). CADding after the battle is not acceptable and also is counted as a forfeit (period).
4) If you flee the fight or kill the last NPC while your opponent lives, you lose.
5) If you cause the last monster to flee or surrender while your opponent lives, you lose (the one who last damages a creature is usually guilty). IF it is unclear who caused the monsters to flee or die (such as certain circumstances with a Cloudkill, or a Hold Monster spell ending its duration), then the fight is a draw and should be redone.
6) If you kill both the last NPC and your opponent with one area-effect spell, you lose.
7) If you kill both yourself and your opponent with one area-effect spell, you lose.
8) If you cast a spell that kills your opponent but a monster kills you before the spell takes effect, you lose. Basically, your death did occur first even though your spell was successfully cast.
9) If you don't mail in your victory within two days of the fight, it won't be counted (see Record Keeping).

***Misc. Things***

1) Do not assume you know your position on the ladder. Do not assume that you know whether your last fight was for rank or for record only. It is possible for fighters' ranks to have changed since the last update without either of them knowing it.
2) CADding is not acceptable. If there are a lot of complaints about a particular person he will receive a warning... if it continues, he will be booted off the Ladder permanently.
3) Spelling counts. Rank and record on the ladder belong to a specific screen-name, and all your ladder fights must use that character. You cannot 'change your name' other than by dropping off the ladder and starting over at the bottom with a 0-0 record using the new name. Even 'minor' changes, such as replacing an i in your name with a 1, are prohibited.
4) You may reroll your character whenever you wish, keeping the same screenname, but you may not declare yourself unavailable for challenges while re-maxxing.
5) If someone jumps into your fight and interferes, you may have to restart the fight. There have been some complaints about people jumping into Ladder matches. The bottom line is - there is nothing that you can do to stop them. If you're in a PvP area you've got to handle it on your own. I have a couple suggestions: 1) Go to places that are not frequented by others (SW woods, NE woods, etc). 2) Fight in a non-PvP area if you are really having problems.
6) If you are in a fight, and a guild brother of the person that you are fighting jumps in - you win by forfeit IF:
a) He knew that it was a ladder fight
b) He interfered (if he flees immediately that's ok)
7) There are now two "Safe Zones" - West Central Woods (2,3) and Triboar (13,12). If you are having problems or expect to have problems I suggest that you attempt to fight at one of these locations. If you are in one of these locations, you will have NW assistance if there are any problems with people jumping in your fight.
8) You may not 'borrow' pearl items for use in ladder fights. Also, you may not have a friend cast prep spells on you before the fight (that's considered interference, even if it's before the fight starts).
9) Promotions from the Stomping Grounds ladder will be handled in the following manner: Each time a player is dropped from the PvP Ladder, the top ranked player on the Stomping Grounds (as of the last posted update) will be moved to the bottom of the PvP Ladder. Thus there will always be exactly 100 players on the PvP Ladder (unless there are zero on the Stomping Grounds). The last posted update will be used regardless of the time delay and any fights that may have taken place since the last update of the Stomping Grounds.
10) When promoted from the Stomping Grounds to the NWN PvP Ladder, your win/loss record will be dropped. You will start over with a record of 0-0.
11) Once a participant is promoted, there is no going back to the Stomping Grounds. If you get dropped for inactivity, or retire, or lose a DM, you are removed from BOTH ladders, and if you re-join you must start at the bottom of the Stomping Grounds.

***Pearls*** (!!!!! Only the NWN PvP Ladder members are eligible for the pearl award!!!)

1) Four pearls will be awarded every two weeks to the fighter with the best record on the NWN PvP Ladder for that period (on the 15th and the last day of each month).
2) The 'best' record will be determined in a simple way: Score = Wins - Losses
3) Forfeits will not count as wins for this purpose, however they will count as losses for the loser.
4) If there is a tie there will be a fight to determine who gets the pearls. The fight can be either on or off the Ladder record... players' choice.

================================
PvP Ladder Council:
Sagx - PvP Ladder President (Also Ladder NWN)
Sylphee - Vice President (Also St0mp Chal)
Sir Rellik - Doubles Ladder (Also Ladderwin2)
Kh0lari - Council Member
Redd Iz - Council Member (Also RED IZ)
Tesssser - Council Member (Also ST0MPRR)

PvP Ladder Council Charter:
President makes final decisions on PvP Ladder controversies (decisions are based upon the opinions of the members of the PvP Ladder Council). When there is an issue of great need/controversy - the President can call for a vote of the council. The FINAL decision being the results of the vote. The vice-president decides any ties. The President is responsible for updating and correcting (amending) the Rules based upon decisions as outlined above. Of utmost importance in the PvP Ladder is total OOC/IC impartiality in votes and judgements. Evidence of lack of impartiality is reason for removal of a member from the PvP Ladder Council. Lack of response to emails of the PvP Ladder Council is reason for removal from the Council. Addition of new members to the Council is by the unamimous vote of the present members of the Council. The council shall be limited to a total of 7 members, including President and Vice-President. The responsibility of updating the ladder may be undertaken by any member of the PvP Ladder Council (with ample warning of any changes to the members of the PvP ladder).

Remember... enjoy the competition, and most of all... Have fun!

Thanks,
Sagx
President, PvP Ladder