Killable NPCs & Bounty System

A living, dynamic world where merchants and guards can be attacked.

In Oldera, NPCs are not invulnerable background entities. Merchants, shopkeepers, and city guards are fully mortal citizens with individual levels, combat skills, varied loot tables, and persistent gold reserves. Players can choose to protect the realm or organize daring heists to claim accumulated wealth.

1. Overview & Combat Mechanics
Mortal Citizens	Shopkeepers (such as blacksmiths, armorers, and potion vendors) and City Guards possess health points, armor, and combat capabilities. They can take damage and be defeated in combat.
Secure Mode Protection	To prevent accidental attacks while trading, the game engine enforces Secure Mode: With Secure Mode ON (default), right-clicking or targeting NPCs will safely open dialog and trade without attacking. To initiate combat against an NPC, you must toggle Secure Mode OFF in your game client.

2. NPC Levels, Skills & Varied Loot
Distinct Levels & Combat Power	NPCs and Guards are not identical in strength. Each NPC has their own Level, Combat Skills (Melee, Distance, Magic), Max Health, and Armor: Basic Merchants & Citizens: Have moderate health and basic defense, focusing primarily on their trade. Veteran Blacksmiths & Weapon Masters: Possess higher physical combat power, heavy armor, and substantial durability. City Guards & Elite Captains: High-level fighters equipped with rapid attack speed, high shielding, and devastating offensive strikes designed to subdue criminals.
Varied Loot Drops	In addition to their dynamic gold vault, each NPC features a distinct loot table based on their profession and difficulty. Slaying high-tier merchants and guards can yield thematic equipment, rare materials, potions, and valuable gear.

Distinct Levels & Combat Power

NPCs and Guards are not identical in strength. Each NPC has their own Level, Combat Skills (Melee, Distance, Magic), Max Health, and Armor:

Basic Merchants & Citizens: Have moderate health and basic defense, focusing primarily on their trade.
Veteran Blacksmiths & Weapon Masters: Possess higher physical combat power, heavy armor, and substantial durability.
City Guards & Elite Captains: High-level fighters equipped with rapid attack speed, high shielding, and devastating offensive strikes designed to subdue criminals.

Varied Loot Drops

In addition to their dynamic gold vault, each NPC features a distinct loot table based on their profession and difficulty. Slaying high-tier merchants and guards can yield thematic equipment, rare materials, potions, and valuable gear.

3. Skulls & Unjustified Frag Rules
White Skull & PZ-Lock	Attacking an innocent shopkeeper or citizen immediately marks the attacker with a White Skull and inflicts a PZ-Lock (Infight Condition). The attacker cannot enter Protection Zones (Temples, Depots) or log out until the skull and battle condition expire.
Unjustified Kill (Frag)	Delivering the fatal blow to a merchant NPC counts as 1 Unjustified Kill (Frag), exactly identical to killing an innocent player. These frags accumulate towards your daily, weekly, and monthly Red Skull and Banishment thresholds according to server rules.

4. Dynamic NPC Wealth (The Economy System)
Persistent Gold Vault	Every time players purchase potions, runes, equipment, or items from a shopkeeper, the gold spent is deposited directly into that NPC's persistent database account. This gold is completely persistent across server restarts and crashes.
Looting the Vault	When a merchant NPC is defeated, they drop 100% of their accumulated trade gold inside their corpse and backpack in neatly stacked crystal and platinum coins. High-traffic merchants that handle significant player trade carry enormous fortunes, making them prime targets for organized guild raids.
Economy Reset	Once slain and looted, the NPC's wealth resets to 0 gold. As players resume trading with the newly respawned merchant, their gold vault begins accumulating once again.

5. City Guards & Town Defense
Guard Retaliation	Town Guards actively patrol city gates and market districts. If they detect an outlaw (White/Red Skull) or witness an attack against a shopkeeper, they will immediately engage the aggressor with high combat power.
Coordinated Invasions	Because guards have higher levels and formidable shielding, conquering a city district requires well-prepared teams or guilds coordinate to handle guard retaliation, incoming PKs, and frag management.

6. Respawn on Server Save & Strategic Consequences
Server Save Respawn Only	When a merchant or guard is killed, they DO NOT reappear during the day. Slain NPCs remain dead for the entire remainder of the session and will ONLY respawn after the daily Server Save.
City & Economic Impact	Eliminating a shopkeeper removes their trade services (potions, runes, equipment, or ammunition) from that city until the next morning's Server Save. Raiders must strategically decide whether the instant gold loot is worth cutting off supply lines for themselves and other players in that region.
Strategic Summary	Keep Secure Mode ON for peaceful shopping and trading. Assess the target's level, defense, and guards before initiating an assault. Remember that killing a merchant closes their shop until the daily Server Save. Coordinate with your team or guild to handle guard retaliation and frag distribution.