Helping the Pathfinder Community.

[hark]

I think it should be a major point what the Ring of Light and The Keepers of the Circle should be about helping people. Not just offering healing as needed and support to the 'good guys,' but to the whole of the Pathfinder Community.

Whatever alignment the character you are dealing with there is a real person on the other side of that character, and real people sometimes have real problems. Maybe they are going through a hard time in their life and just need someone to talk to. I think we should be open to offering help to people with real problems, though it would obviously be limited to talking and listening. We should create a safe a peaceful environment where people can come to get away from stress and seek help and advice regardless of the alignment of the character they play.

Outside of personal help we might try to serve as something of a neutral ground for conflict resolution, or for out of character community events.

We aren't just playing a game we are building a community and we should make it very public that we will help and support the community as our top priority.

Just some thoughts on how I think we should direct our effort. I've worked with groups that did similar things in other games and it work out pretty well.

[Dario Tashavan]

I do like the idea of neutral grounds. I have concerns about presenting ourselves as an organization helping people with real world problems, but that's the neurotic part of me that worries about legal liabilities.

[hark]

Oh sure, we definitely need to be able to tell someone that they need to go get professional help. The idea is more to create an environment where people feel comfortable coming to us with problems. I've talked to quite a few kids who's parents were going through a divorce and they just needed somebody to talk to.

Make a safe peaceful setting, friendly and helpful people that aren't judgmental, and people will come. Mostly its just people looking for a safe place to relax, but sometimes people show up with real problems.

[Gintigael Gemweaver]

I like the idea of having a safe place to be able to do that, but we're not psychiatrists, or psychologists, so we don't want to get in trouble with that. Listening to someone's problems is one thing, but I wouldn't give advice, personally. This is a game. In fact, I will be playing IC 95% of the time, so if someone starts talking about how their parents don't listen to them then I will tell that dwarf that he should honor his parents, and I would tell the elf to go off and play a lute.
That said, if other people want to do that, like Hark, then that should be an option, but not an expressed reason for the guild. I would like this to be a place where I can go and be in Pathfinder and not bring my or other peoples real life into it.
I'm trying to straddle both sides here, because I know some people like that and I'd like to have an environment where its possible, but I don't want people to come here for that reason, I don't want the Ring to be known as the RL psychologists.

[Leonidas Wahrheit]

I absolutely 100% agree that we should assist others in-character and any issues/conflicts other in-character individuals have I would love to see the Ring of Light serve as a mediator to their conflict, as well as provide advice and, if necessary, resources.

As far as the Real World is concerned, if you know someone personally who is having trouble and plays Pathfinder Online, then by all means, help them out as much as you can. I do, however, have serious reservations about trying to help others in the Real World through Pathfinder. As much as I am a Lawful-Good Paladin in-game and in the Real World, I can't even begin to claim that I know how to successfully help someone with their life problems. I absolutely WANT to help others and I love that you have the desire to do the same, but I must agree with Dario and Gintigael: it can't be a Guild thing.

If our members want to do it on their own and away from the Guild, then more power to them. Hell, if you're a trained professional (like a psychiatrist or psychologist), then DEFINITELY more power to you! We cannot, however, have people coming to our Guild for these reasons and then potentially filing very serious complaints (potentially legal) against us for our "assistance."

As much as I despise saying this, the world is a place filled with people who want nothing more than to blame others for their own problems. That hasn't stopped me from helping injured people or giving out advice, but I just want to make sure this Guild is kept as safe from harm as possible.

[Fruben]

The best I can hope to do to help someone with real life issues is to try to make their in game time a little more enjoyable. Hopefully we will have many opportunities to do that together as a Ring as the game and community develop.

I have nothing but respect for people we are able do more on an individual level. However, the Ring of Light (or in this case probably the Keepers in general) developing a reputation in this respect might create an expectation, which some members (or me at least) might have hard time to live up to.

In character is of course a totally different story and I would like nothing more than us being able to develop a reputation as compassionate, helpful and easy to approach bunch.

[Leonidas Wahrheit]

Well said, Fruben. I love it that you guys want to help people and I want to carry that over to the philosophy of this Holy Ring! I envision this group being a safe haven for all downtrodden, desperate, and injured men and women who need help in the great world of the River Kingdoms.