The following guidelines have been set forth as the path for new members to follow on their journey through the ranks. Completing the activities indicated in each of the following steps will qualify a member for promotion. The purpose of these various items is to provide a solid base of knowledge for new members that will allow them to succeed in the future.
Journeyman Guidelines
The list of activities that are provided are a series of examples of members' accomplishments that will qualify an individual for promotion - but promotions at the Journeyman level are not limited to these tasks. Substitutions for items on these lists are acceptable on an individual basis, so long as the substituted work is of similar or equivalent effort. If a member completes the tasks as they are defined below, they will be promoted accordingly, but it is not the only way.
Apprentice to Novice
One basic activity, such as:
- Pass an Shadow Academy course (except Test of Lore and Advancement Survey)
- Submit to a competition
- Reach Trust Level 1 on the Forums (see below)
- Have an approved character sheet on record
- Earn a competition award (Crescents, Novae, Legions of the Scholar or Pendants of Blood)
- Earn one (1) Cluster of Fire
This is just an example. You need to do any one activity that shows that you are active and ready to proceed. The activity done here can be counted for the next promotion as well.
Novice to Acolyte/Disciple
Complete three of the following:
- Total of any two Shadow Academy exams (excluding the Dark Brotherhood Basics Shadow Academy course and courses listed in the Journeyman Hall). This can count up to two times if a total of 4 Shadow Academy courses are completed.
- Participate in any Dark Brotherhood competition. This can count up to two times if you participate in 2 competitions.
- Earn five Clusters of Fire. This can count up to two times for ten Clusters of Fire
- Logon to IRC and visit your Clan channel
- Logon to the DJB Voice Server
- Sign into the Dark Brotherhood forums, and reach Trust Level 1 by entering 5 topics, reading 25 posts, and spending 5 minutes reading posts.
- 500 word Character Development Fiction submitted to your Master or House Leadership, this can count up to two times if a 1000-word fiction is submitted.
- Any four Journeyman Hall Shadow Academy courses, this can count up to two times if a total of eight courses are taken.
- Courses in this hall do not count towards any other Shadow Academy requirement.
Acolyte/Disciple to Protector
- Begin to outline your character history for eventual posting on the Brotherhood Wiki, and have this outline approved by your House leadership or Master.
Complete three of the following:
- Total of any six Shadow Academy exams (excluding the Dark Brotherhood Basics Shadow Academy course and Journeyman Hall courses). This can count up to two times for a total of twelve courses.
- Participate in three total competitions. This can count up to two times for 5 competitions
- Earn ten Clusters of Fire. This can count up to two times for twenty Clusters of Fire
- Earn one Cluster of Ice. This can count up to two times for two Clusters of Ice
- Complete Antei Combat Center Basics Shadow Academy course and your Character Sheet - ACC Basics can count towards your Shadow Academy exam course total
- 750 word character development fiction submitted to your master or House Leadership, this can count up to two times if a 1500-word fiction is submitted.
- Logon to IRC and visit your Clan channel
- Logon to the DB DJB Voice Server
- Any eight Journeyman Hall Shadow Academy courses, this can count up to two times if a total of sixteen courses are taken.
- Courses in this hall do not count towards any other Shadow Academy requirement.
Protector to Guardian/Defender
Complete six of the following:
- Interact with members of the Brotherhood in a social setting: this can include visiting your clan channel on IRC, using the Brotherhood voice server, posting a constructive comment on the Brotherhood site, or a constructive post on the Brotherhood forums.
- Total of any twelve Shadow Academy exams (excluding the Dark Brotherhood Basics Shadow Academy course and Journeyman Hall courses). This can count two times if 24 courses are passed.
- Participate in three total competitions. This can count two times if you participate in 5 total competitions.
- Earn a total of twenty (20) Clusters of Fire. This can count two times if you earn forty (40) Clusters of Fire
- Earn a total of two (2) Clusters of Ice. This can count two times if you earn four (4) Clusters of Ice
- Complete Antei Combat Center Basics Exam and your Character Sheet if you have not already done so - ACC basics can count towards your Shadow Academy exam course total
- Qualify for the Antei Combat Center
- Reach rank 2 in the Antei Combat Center
- Reach rank 2 in the Grand Master's Royal Guard
- Reach rank 2 in the Shadow Academy Society
- Minimum 750 word character fiction to be approved by your House leadership or Master, this can count up to two times if a 1500-word fiction is submitted.
- Work on your character history document for eventual posting on the Brotherhood Wiki, and have this effort approved by your House Leadership or Master. This should include significant updates to the character's pre-Brotherhood life.
- Create a competition and run it with the assistance of your leadership. This can count two times if you run two competitions. Such competitions must be in compliance with the requirements outlined in the Notes on Running Competitions section below.
- Earn a Merit Medal. This can count two times if you earn two merit medals.
Guardian to Jedi Hunter/Padawan
Complete nine of the following:
- Interact with members of the Brotherhood in a social setting: this can include visiting your clan channel on IRC, using the Brotherhood voice server, posting a constructive comment on the Brotherhood site, or a constructive post on the Brotherhood forums.
- Participate in five total competitions. This can count two times for 10 competitions
- Pass a Shadow Academy leadership exam. Pass two exams for this item to count two times
- 1000 word character fiction to be approved by your House leadership or Master., this can count up to two times if a 2000-word fiction is submitted.
- Earn two Pendants of Blood, for example by leveling two ToR character to maximum level. Counts up to two times for 4 Pendants.
- Complete two Antei Combat Center matches. Counts up to two times for four matches
- Reach rank 3 in the Antei Combat Centre
- Reach rank 3 in the Grand Master's Royal Guard
- Reach rank 3 in the Shadow Academy Society
- Place in a competition. This can count two times for placing in 2 competitions.
- Have a total of fifty (50) Clusters of Fire. This can count two times for 100 Clusters.
- Have a total of five (5) Clusters of Ice. This can count two times for 10 Clusters.
- Earn a merit medal. This can count two times for 2 merit medals.
- Create a competition and run it with the assistance of your leadership. This can count two times for running 2 competitions. Such competitions must be in compliance with the requirements outlined in the Notes on Running Competitions section below.
Jedi Hunter/Padawan to Dark Jedi Knight/Jedi Knight
Complete eleven of the following:
- Earn a merit medal. Earn a second merit medal for this to count two times.
- Earn a second Crescent or Nova
- Participate in 8 total competitions. 15 competitions counts two times
- Create a competition and run it with the assistance of your leadership. Running 2 competitions counts two times. Such competitions must be in compliance with the requirements outlined in the Notes on Running Competitions section below.
- Pass two Shadow Academy leadership exams
- Assist your House or Clan summit with a project
- Complete five (5) Antei Combat Center matches. Ten (10) matches counts two times
- Reach rank 4 in the Antei Combat Centre
- Reach rank 4 in the Grand Master's Royal Guard
- Reach rank 4 in the Shadow Academy Society
- Have a total of 75 Clusters of Fire. Counts two times for 150 Clusters.
- Have a total of 7 Clusters of Ice. Counts two times for 14 Clusters.
- Minimum 1,500 words of character fiction to be approved by your House leadership or Master, this can count up to two times if a 3000-word fiction is submitted.
- Earn three Pendants of Blood, for example by leveling three ToR characters to maximum level. Counts two times for 6 Pendants
- Earn a Shadow Academy Degree (excluding the Dark Pundit Degrees)
- Complete a quality wiki article (it could be your character’s) as determined by your House leadership or Master, and approved by a member of the Wiki Staff
Equite ranks
Every promotion in the Equite ranks is decided on a case-by-case system, since it is not possible or appropriate to have guidelines in the form of a checklist for these ranks. The Master at Arms staff will look at the whole record of the prospective promote, including (but not limited to) the competitions entered and hosted, the type and number of medals awarded (and the reasoning), the projects completed, their leadership (either in a position, or through non-positioned work such as mentoring new members) and administrative experience (service as a Dark Council staffer). Leadership and administrative experience tends to be given greater weight when looking at promotions at all Equite and above ranks.
Attitude and how one interacts with the larger Brotherhood also plays a role when determining a promotion, representing ones growth and maturity in the club, or lack thereof.
Other than time in rank guidelines (where the member must be active throughout the time: participating in unit and Brotherhood wide competitions and events, amongst a myriad of other activities), and leadership experience (for more information, see Notes on Leadership Positions below) there are no lists of activities that a member must accomplish in order to be promoted through the Equite ranks.
The guidelines are meant to demonstrate (generally) that is highly unlikely that any member, no a matter how hard working or talented he or she is, would ever have enough time to accomplish all the work and learn everything there is to know about the Brotherhood in order to advance to the next rank in any less time. Think of the time in rank guidelines as the potential pool for activity to justify promotion, the best and the brightest members of the Brotherhood will very likely accomplish enough in that time, but not all members will.
The below are guidelines, and are not meant to be absolute or strict rules. As such, there will always be circumstances where a promotion is earned earlier than the guidelines suggest. Conversely, hitting the number of months at a certain rank is not a guarantee of promotion if the member has not been appropriately active within the Dark Brotherhood.
Equite 1
- Between five and six months at Dark Jedi Knight/Jedi Knight
Equite 2
- Between eight and nine months at Equite 1
Equite 3
- Approximately one year at Equite 2
- Approximately three months as a successful Independent Unit Leader or equivalent. For more information see Notes on Leadership Positions, below)
Equite 4
- Approximately fifteen months at Equite 3
- Approximately six months as a successful Independent Unit Leader or equivalent. For more information see Notes on Leadership Positions, below)
Notes on Running Competitions
In order for a competition to count towards a promotion, it must meet the following criteria:
- Award 4th level Crescents or higher
- Trivia and Flash Games are not allowed to be used for these requirements
- The competition will count towards the promotion requirement only once it has been completed, scored, and awards have gone out
- For promotions to GRD, competitions can be run at the Battleteam level
- For promotions to JH, competitions must be run at the Independent Unit (Clan or House as appropriate) level, or higher
- For promotions to DJK, competitions must be open to the entire DB.
It is strongly recommended, especially for DB-wide competitions, that the Journeyman approach someone outside of their Unit (such as a member of the Dark Council) for both feedback on the proposed competition itself, and also so that the competition can be advertised on the news page of the site in order to encourage greater participation.
Notes on Leadership Positions
Holding a leadership or administrative position in the Brotherhood is an important achievement for a member, and it also serves as an important marker for evaluating member progress by the Master at Arms staff. We do recognize that direct unit leadership is not always possible, either through a lack of opportunity, or a desire to do something else. This should not adversely hamper a member's chances for promotion. Therefore some equivalencies to three months (these are all predicated on the notion that the member is successful and active in their role) as an Independent Unit Leader are:
- Six months as an Independent Unit Deputy or Sub-Unit Leader
- Seven months as a Sub-Unit Deputy
- Nine months as a Battle team Leader
- Nine months as a Rollmaster
- Six months as a Praetor
- Nine months as a Magistrate, Shadow Academy Professor or Docent, or Antei Combat Centre Judge
There are other positioned and non-positioned activities that a member can engage in that are in keeping with the spirit of the above. These include (but are not limited) to: working and actively contributing to the large-scale Brotherhood projects, non-positioned Shadow Academy service, and mentoring member to the rank of Dark Jedi Knight/Jedi Knight.
Further, all of the above positions and associated timelines are meant to show transparency in the Master at Arms staff thought processes. There is no guarantee that a member will be promoted upon hitting the number of days in a position.
General Notes
- For the purposes of counting competitions, the Promotheus tool general keeps track of these competitions. This has not always been the case, and the website note displaying all of a member's participation must not impede their progress. When recommending a promotion for a member, simply note that the website is incorrect.
- IRC trivia competitions, when participated in or hosted by Journeymen for the purpose of promotion, shall count as one-half of a traditional unit (or Dark Council) run competition. For instance, if a member wished to fulfill the Jedi Hunter/Padawan promotion guideline for participating in ten (10) competitions using only IRC trivia, then that member would need to participate in twenty (20) competitions.
Credits and Version Information
Currently in version 3.1
- 3.1 version update by Kalen - 17 January, 2014
- 3.0 version update by Howlader, Kalen, and JaM3z - 26 November, 2013
- 2.0 version update by Korras(with Kalia and Frmeoc): major edit, to reflect ToR as a major platform. - 26/02/12
- 1.4a version updated by Korras: changed EQ requirements
- 1.4 version updated by Korras: Removed obsolete items (histories on dossiers are no more), added EQ guidelines, altered time requirements. - 10/02/11
- 1.3 version updated by Kaek: changed note about running competitions as participation to require leadership to tell me when this occurs. Updated links to DB Basics and ACC Basic - 7/24/09
- 1.2 version updated by Kaek with modifications: Shadow Academy double-dipping policy clarified; Shadow Academy courses completed beyond the base promotion requirements but before the actual promotion can be applied to the next level of promotion per new language; the Master At Arms will no longer assign House tasks but can still be contacted to assist new members; fiction length requirements lowered - 7/7/09
- 1.1a version updated by Kaek in order to clarify language. Requirements remain the same - 11/13/08
- 1.1 version updated by Kaek based on feedback and analysis - 10/21/08
- Originally derived from the promotion guidelines of every Clan. Compiled by Sklib and Tarax. Initial revisions/additions by Kaek. Subsequent revisions/additions by Sarin, Muz, Kir, Kaek and Raken. Final revisions/additions made by the entire Dark Council: Sarin, Muz, Kir, Kaek, Aabsdu, Shikyo, Jac, Sashar, Braecen, Phoenix, Chaos, Anshar, Ashia and Ashura - 10/14/08