Article: What is The FRAG?

What is The FRAG?

FRAG in this context is a (contrived) acronym for Friendly Regular Arcana Group, but mostly what it means is DDO-with-beer.

A FRAG group is a fixed party of 6 players who undertake to play together online in a regular timeslot. For Thor's Doombringers this is usually every Thursday night from 20:30. The exact rules tend to change, but the core ones are along these lines:

1. When a new FRAG starts up, we all roll new level 1 characters (in consultation hopefully, or we'd just end up with 4 fighters and 2 rogues).
   
2. Said toons can *only* be used for FRAG runs. The toon runs with the other members of the FRAG or not at all. Where possible we try to level up together.
   
3. If someone knows in advance they aren't going to be available, we tend not to run that week. Or we might.
   
4. If we are supposed to be running and someone doesn't show up, then so long as there are still 5 of us we go ahead and the offender has to catch up in their own time. (Experience has shown this to be the only practical solution.)
   

History

Thor's Doombringers has been around since 2007. Several other FRAG groups have been formed, but so far as I know this is the only one that's lasted. That tends to be because it's harder than you might think to find 6 interested people who are all free on the same evening and can manage to keep that night free whatever real life distractions crop up. And that don't get bored and wander off by the time they reach level 4.

What else? Er... We've rerolled twice now.
Um. I think that's quite enough boring history!

Can I join?

Well, you can't join Thor's Doombringers specifically. We already have our six players - DDO doesn't allow more except for raids. Feel free to set your own group up though. I can add a forum and usergroup to this site for you if you like. It's absolutely vital to have some form of noticeboard so you can post whether or not you can make it, and to sort out what quests you are going to do.

You don't need to have anything to do with the Unearthed Arcana guild. FRAG toons only run with other FRAG toons so guild is irrelevant. In fact, we've set up a separate guild on Thelanis called "The FRAG" just for our FRAG toons. For that matter, FRAGs don't need to have anything to do with Dungeons & Dragons Online - that's just our bubbling green potion of choice.

The current rules

The current rules for Thor's Doombringers are as follows:

• The FRAG runs on a Thursday night at 8:30pm UK time. Sense of humor and alcohol are compulsory. If 5 players are in attendance the run will go ahead and the 6th will catch up with xp before the following run. If fewer than 5 are present, we will typically run with alts.
  
• If you know in advance that you cannot run, you should post that fact in the appropriate forum. (Each FRAG group has its own private forum for posting availability.)
  
• Team-play only. We stick together. Make up your own treacle-related joke here.
  
• The Frag will run on Thelanis and will form a guild called ‘The FRAG’.
  
• The Shop can be used to buy 32 point build, Favoured Soul, Drow and solely cosmetic items and nothing else.
  
• Frag toons cannot be twinked. They cannot accept any items, gold, xp, etc from any non-Frag toon, including their own alts.
  
• Frag toons can use the AH and vendors.
  
• It is the responsibility of the player to sort out the financial needs of his toon. If a player needs money the onus is on the player to mention it to other party members.
  
• Any loot pulled is the property of the toon who pulled it. If they don’t need it it should be offered to other frag toons before it is sold. If more than one toon wants it then a die should be rolled to determine who gets it if agreement cannot be reached by those who want it.
  
• Quest will be chosen by players on a rota basis. Each player will choose an evenings play. It is the players choice what they do and why, be that for xp, a specific item they know drops at that quest, or because they like that quest. Order of choice will be decided at outset by die roll.
  

(Editor: This last bit works best past level 6. Before then you level so quickly that by the time it gets to be your turn to choose, the quest you wanted to do is way beneath you.)

The Unearthed Arcana

This forum splintered off from the UA site in Jan 2010. If you are interested in the UA (which is a friendly non-rushing guild mostly comprised of mature players - plus Fbloke/Start), then you can find the appropriate forum here: http://unearthedarcana.forumakers.com/

Although there tends to be very little activity in the forum these days.

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