Shattered Kingdoms

I was thinking that robing would prevent you from taking aggressive action until you decloaked. This way, you could still defend yourself if some jerk attacked you, but you couldn't use the robe as a combat cover. Doesn't cover taunt, charm, or auto-assist, but it's a possibility.

I'm looking for something that a) doesn't compromise the special cabal skill, b) doesn't give the wearer a tactical advantage, only an RP one, and c) doesn't give an aggressor an unfair advantage.

I dont see a real need for cabal robes. Cloaked figures talking about big plots works for some cabals adepts, harlequins and the MC. But if you dont trust your cabal member dont show your face at all. Its not that hard. With the shift of CRS to tribunals there is no need for cabal robes to defend the HQ in.
The idea of robes being able to cloak items worn should work with all robes/cloaks of suitable nature.

You have to realize cabal robes isn't just for the RP some groups will have, but also to protect against OOC leaks. If you don't prepare for that then you are asking for the system to fail.

Lei Kung

Cabal robes will never protect against OOC leaks. Someone will always know what cabal you are from because someone needs to induct you and lead the cabal. The problem I see is to deal with this OOCness you are giving a major IC advantage. One that has never been needed in the past for a group to remain hidden.

I think it's a nifty idea, actually. It's just... You know, it's just cool

Silmar, just because it isn' 100% doesn't mean it isn't worth while. Let's look at the two changes to cabal secrecy Dulrik is contemplating. First, CB is changed so a member can use it without revealing himself to anyone except the leaders. Then cabal robes allow members to meet for any reason, like inductions for example, which would hide the member's identity again. So we see it is possible for a member to effectively keep his identity secret from all but the leader. That is quite significantly more secure then without such changes.

Lei Kung

For the sake of this discussion, assume that there is no dual membership and that CRS will not have changed.

It'd be easier just for cabal secrecy to operate as it always has -- by not being dumb about it and having the ooc maturity not to take ooc to the IC (which is against the rules anyways).

This is what I have so far on cabal robes.
Pros of cabal robes:
Helps with limiting OOC info sharing.
Can defend your HQ with no risk of ID being discovered.
Can be more independent of the cabal.
Hides all your gear/tricks.

Cons of cabal robes:
Law immunity problem. (and its similarity to an existing cabal spell)
Abuse of anonymity via tells.
Targeting issues with a room full of robed people.
The time needed to code them.
Takes away from unity of the cabal.

From what I can see cabal robes as suggested will promote cabals even more over tribunals because now you only have to deal with people knowing your in a cabal when you are in offense. People will not use cabal powers outside of being robed because there would be no need. If cabal robes are limited to RP only then I see it hurting cabals more than adding to them. This is because it is harder to stand up as a leader with in the group with out ever showing your face.
The only place I see cabal robes being needed in SK in its current form is perhaps in cabal HQ defense. Could have it automatic when you enter a cabal gate robe you as a <class> <race> <cabal member>. Example a necromantic halfling blood adept, a barbaric human hammer of light.
I feel this takes away from how SK is played removing one of the risks of death which is your foes can ID you. Id rather see something like a voodoo costed cabal spell. Spawns a NPC of your class level race in the HQ. Costs you all your ME and PE, leaves you unsummonable and paralyzed. This would let secret members have a part in Cabal raids but not perform to their full potential keeping the desire to have active members.

In short I see them as over powered or a useless hindrance depending how they are made to function.

Just a few ideas that I wanted to bring up for the cabal robe skill (which I am very happy that Dulrik is considering to implement):

Perhaps when you don the robe, you are not allowed to carry any other items, and the robe has within it certain items that your character needs: food, water, and very low level armor. Perhaps warriors are able to choose once type of weapon that is spawned inside of the robe.

Secondly, with lawbreakers and such, I propose that if you are within a nation that you are at war with, the guards automatically hit you. If you do crimes, they should be reported under whatever description the cloak gives to people. This way, tribunal members are still able to recognize which player groups are making problems within their kingdom, and then outlaw their secretive forms as a whole.

Or, perhaps you could have it as a different flag, where leaders do not allow secretive members to walk within their streets. Kind of like the "disrobe or die" ultimatum. Just some thoughts, as I'd really like to see this implemented, even if the implementation is not in its current form.