Dragon kill points (often abbreviated as DKP) is a system of points used by raiding guilds in Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) to fairly distribute loot obtained from defeated bosses. It functions as a form of guild currency, rewarding members for participation in raids and allowing them to "bid" on desirable items.
History and Purpose
The DKP system emerged in early MMORPGs, most notably in EverQuest and later in World of Warcraft, as a solution to the challenges of loot distribution in large-scale raid groups. Before DKP, loot was often distributed via random rolls, a "first come, first served" basis, or a "loot council" where officers decided who received what. These methods often led to perceived unfairness, favoritism, or a lack of incentive for consistent raid attendance.
The primary purposes of DKP are:
- Fairness: To provide a transparent and equitable system for loot allocation.
- Incentive: To reward consistent raid participation, effort, and successful boss kills.
- Reduced Conflict: To minimize arguments and resentment over loot among guild members.
How DKP Works
The core principle of DKP involves earning points for raid participation and spending them to acquire loot.
Earning DKP
Guild members typically earn DKP by:
- Boss Kills: The primary source of DKP, awarded for each boss defeated.
- Raid Attendance: Showing up on time for raids, staying for the entire duration, or completing specific objectives.
- Trash Clears: Clearing non-boss encounters (often called "trash mobs") that precede bosses.
- Special Contributions: Some guilds award bonus DKP for specific roles (e.g., tanking new content), crafting valuable items, or exceptional performance.
The amount of DKP awarded can vary significantly between guilds and the difficulty of the content.
Spending DKP
When a boss is defeated and drops loot, items are typically placed up for bid. Guild members who wish to acquire an item "bid" a certain amount of their accumulated DKP. The member who bids the highest amount of DKP receives the item, and their DKP total is reduced by the bid amount.
Common variations in spending DKP include:
- Blind Bidding: Bids are submitted privately, and the highest bidder wins.
- Open Bidding: Bids are announced publicly, allowing members to outbid each other.
- Minimum Bids: Some items may have a set minimum DKP cost to prevent them from being acquired for a trivial amount.
- Class/Role Priority: Some guilds implement rules where certain classes or roles (e.g., main tanks) get priority or a discount on specific items vital to their performance, to ensure raid progression.
Variations and Advanced DKP Systems
To address perceived shortcomings or introduce more nuance, several variations of the DKP system have evolved:
- DKP Decay: Points may decay (reduce) over time (e.g., weekly) to prevent members from hoarding large amounts of DKP and to encourage spending. This also helps new members catch up faster.
- Zero-Sum DKP: In this system, the DKP spent on an item is redistributed among all other raid members present. This ensures that the total DKP in the system remains constant.
- EPGP (Effort Points / Gear Points): An evolution of DKP, EPGP assigns "Effort Points" (EP) for raid participation and "Gear Points" (GP) for acquiring loot. A player's priority for loot is determined by their "EP/GP ratio." This system inherently introduces DKP decay by making older gear cost proportionally less, allowing new members to catch up.
- Suicide Bids: A high bid on an item that depletes a player's DKP to zero, often done by players who have accumulated a large surplus of DKP and want a specific item badly.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages
- Transparency: All DKP awards and expenditures are typically recorded and publicly accessible, fostering trust.
- Incentivizes Participation: Rewards consistent raiding and contribution to the guild's success.
- Player Choice: Allows players to prioritize which items they want most, rather than relying on random chance.
- Reduced Loot Drama: By establishing a clear system, DKP can significantly reduce arguments over loot.
Disadvantages
- Complexity: Managing DKP can be time-consuming for guild leadership, requiring careful tracking.
- DKP Farming: Players might feel compelled to participate in non-essential raids or "farm" DKP just to secure an item, rather than for enjoyment.
- New Member Disadvantage: New guild members often start with zero DKP, making it difficult for them to acquire desirable items initially.
- Potential for Abuse: While designed for fairness, a poorly managed DKP system can still be manipulated or lead to unfair outcomes if rules are not clear or consistently enforced.
- Does Not Account for Current Need: A player with high DKP might outbid someone who needs an item more urgently for a specific progression hurdle.
Alternatives to DKP
While DKP was once a dominant system, other loot distribution methods are also widely used:
- Loot Council: A pre-selected group of guild leaders or officers decides who receives each item, based on factors like attendance, performance, and current gear needs.
- Personal Loot: A system where each player receives individual, unique loot drops from bosses, tailored to their class/spec. This is often implemented directly by the game.
- Master Looter (with Rolling): A designated player collects all loot, and then players can "roll" (randomly generate a number) for items, with higher rolls winning. Often includes "Need" (for items usable by the player's class/spec) and "Greed" (for items not directly needed, often for selling or crafting).