How to Change the Tribe Leader on a Soulmask Server (Admin Takeover Guide)

On a Soulmask dedicated server, the documented way to change who controls a tribe is an administrator takeover: authenticate as a server administrator, aim at a player in the tribe, and run gm take_over_target_tribe. This command is described as taking chief permissions from the targeted player’s tribe. It is not documented as a normal, consent-based handoff between two ordinary tribe members.

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What “change the tribe leader” means in Soulmask

The phrase can describe two different actions. A server owner or administrator may need to take control of a tribe, or two regular players may want to transfer leadership from one person to another. The available command documentation clearly covers the first case only.

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The second row is not a leadership transfer. A Steam community answer dated July 11, 2024 discusses moving an NPC tribesman to another clan member; it does not establish a method for changing a player tribe’s chief. Do not use the NPC transfer instructions as a substitute for the administrator command.

Use the documented administrator takeover command

If you control the dedicated server, the command to use is:

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gm take_over_target_tribe

The command guide describes it as taking chief permissions of the tribe belonging to the player you target. You must aim at a player who is already in the tribe you intend to take over. Running the command without a valid target, or targeting a player from another tribe, will not identify the intended tribe.

This is an administrative action on live tribe data. The reviewed documentation does not promise that it can be reversed, does not specify whether the previous chief must be online, and does not describe the notification shown to the former leader. Confirm the target and your server’s current behavior before using it on an active community server.

Requirements before you begin

• You must administer the dedicated Soulmask server or have its administrator credentials.
• The server must have an administrator password configured as a launch parameter through the host’s startup settings or launch line.
• You need to join the server with a character that can open the in-game console and authenticate for GM access.
• You need a player target who belongs to the tribe whose chief permissions you intend to take over.
• You should verify that the command exists on the installed server build before applying it to a live tribe.

The administrator password is separate from the password players use to join the server. Having the join password does not, by itself, grant access to the GM panel.

Step-by-step: take over a tribe as the server administrator

1. Configure the administrator password

Set the server’s administrator password in the dedicated server’s launch parameters. The exact field or startup command depends on the host and deployment method, but the password must be present in the server startup configuration rather than only in a player-facing join setting.

If you have just added or changed the administrator password, restart the server before attempting authentication. A restart ensures the running server loads the new launch parameter.

2. Join the server and open the console

Enter the server normally, then press the tilde key (~) to open the in-game console. One current command reference also notes the numpad minus key as an alternative on some keyboard layouts. If tilde does nothing, try the alternate key and check whether your keyboard layout maps the key differently.

3. Start GM authentication

At the console, enter:

gm key [administrator password]

Replace the bracketed text with the administrator password configured on the server; do not type the brackets as literal characters unless your host’s documentation specifically requires them. After the GM panel opens, enter the administrator password again when prompted and confirm that your character is recognized as an administrator.

There are two password-entry moments in this documented flow: the console command and the confirmation in the GM panel. Completing only the first entry does not establish that you have administrator privileges.

4. Find and target a member of the correct tribe

Move your crosshair over a player who belongs to the tribe whose chief permissions you need to take over. Targeting a player is important: the command is described as operating on the targeted player’s tribe, not on a tribe name typed into the console.

Before proceeding, check the player’s identity and tribe membership. On a busy server, pause long enough to ensure that the crosshair is not selecting a nearby player from a different tribe.

5. Run the takeover command

With the intended player targeted and GM access active, enter:

gm take_over_target_tribe

Submit the command and allow the server to process it. The documented result is that your administrator action takes chief permissions for the targeted player’s tribe. The command guide does not establish additional outcomes such as an automatic message to every member, a forced logout, or a guaranteed transfer of every role-related permission.

6. Check the result without assuming undocumented behavior

Use the game’s current tribe controls to confirm that the intended tribe is now under the administrator’s chief permissions. If the expected controls do not appear, do not repeatedly issue the command against random players. Recheck the password authentication, the target, the command spelling, and the server build first.

Prepare the change on a live server

Because the command acts on an existing tribe, preparation matters as much as syntax. Write down the tribe name, the intended player target, and the reason for the intervention before opening the console. If several players are standing together, ask them to separate briefly so the crosshair can be checked against one character at a time. This reduces the risk of applying the command to a neighboring tribe.

Tell the affected group what you are about to do and describe it accurately as an administrator takeover. Do not promise that the former chief will receive a message, that every subordinate permission will move identically, or that the action can be undone. If the server is busy, use a maintenance window where practical and record the time, build number, and host configuration. Those details make it easier to compare results after a restart or later update.

Keep the two passwords separate in your notes and procedures. The join password lets a player enter the server; the administrator password is the credential used by gm key and the GM panel. Giving someone the join password does not give that person authority to run this command.

What the command does not establish

It is not a normal player-to-player handoff

The reviewed command references describe an administrator takeover, not a routine feature in which one ordinary tribe member selects another member and transfers leadership. A Nitrado command list and a separate technical console reference cover several administrative functions but do not document a standard player-facing tribe-leader handoff entry.

That absence does not prove that every game mode or future build can never add such a feature. It means there is no verified, general procedure here for a regular member to transfer the chief role. If you are not the server administrator, contact the server owner or inspect the current in-game tribe menus rather than trying an unverified command.

It is not the same as transferring an NPC tribesman

“Tribesman” is also used for NPC members, which creates a common wording trap. The July 11, 2024 Steam discussion describes an NPC transfer that requires both players to be online, requires the receiving player to have available tribe capacity, and uses the current holder’s hold-E interaction followed by Transfer.

Those conditions apply to the NPC action described in that discussion. They do not explain how to change the player who has chief permissions, and they should not be presented as a leadership-transfer recipe.

Version and documentation limits

A current secondary administrator guide was updated on September 28, 2026 and associates its command coverage with developer private-server documentation and Steam patch notes. That guide also states that the underlying command table was last revised in August 2024 and may omit commands added later.

A separate technical reference distinguishes command names recovered from a Linux dedicated-server binary from community-documented or inferred details. Its stated scope includes character, proficiency, talent, mastery, and recruit-state commands; it does not establish a dedicated player-to-player leadership workflow.

For that reason, treat gm take_over_target_tribe as the documented administrator path, but verify it against the executable and configuration used by your own server. A command that worked on a different build, host configuration, or game mode may not behave identically on yours.

How to verify the command on your build

1. Identify the exact Soulmask server version and whether the server is running on the same platform covered by your command reference.
2. Check the host’s current private-server or console-command documentation for the exact spelling and required target behavior.
3. Test administrative access with the password and GM panel before attempting a tribe change. This separates an authentication problem from a command problem.
4. Use a confirmed member of the intended tribe as the target. Do not test by clicking through unrelated players on a populated server.
5. After execution, inspect the tribe controls and record what changed. If behavior differs from the guide, stop and ask the host or server operator before repeating the command.

The underlying command table was reported as last revised in August 2024, while the secondary guide listing the takeover command was updated September 28, 2026. Those dates are a reason to verify the installed build, not a guarantee that every later patch changed or preserved the command.

Troubleshooting the takeover procedure

The console will not open

• Press ~ while in the game rather than in a launcher or chat field.
• Try numpad minus if your keyboard layout does not produce the tilde key recognized by the game.
• Check the current server and client build before assuming that the command itself is unavailable.

The GM panel does not recognize you

• Confirm that the administrator password is configured as a launch parameter, not merely as the server join password.
• If the password was recently added or changed, restart the dedicated server and reconnect.
• Enter the password in the gm key command, then enter it again when the GM panel requests confirmation.
• Check capitalization and spacing. Use the password exactly as configured.

The command produces no expected result

• Make sure GM authentication completed before you entered the takeover command.
• Place the crosshair directly on a player in the intended tribe.
• Confirm the spelling: gm take_over_target_tribe.
• Check whether your installed server build includes the command. The command table’s last stated revision was August 2024, even though the secondary guide carrying it was updated September 28, 2026.
• Do not infer a failure solely from the absence of a notification; the reviewed guide does not document what message, if any, should appear.

You are a regular tribe member, not the administrator

The documented procedure requires server-admin authentication. If you cannot set or obtain the dedicated server’s administrator password, you cannot follow this takeover path yourself. Ask the server operator to perform the action, or ask the operator to verify whether the current build exposes a normal leadership option. No ordinary-member handoff command is established by the references covered here.

Safety checklist for a live server

• Identify the exact tribe and verify the target player before entering the command.
• Tell affected players that an administrator takeover may alter who controls tribe permissions.
• Perform the action during a maintenance window when possible, especially on a populated server.
• Record the server build, host configuration, and time of the change so you can diagnose unexpected behavior.
• Do not promise a rollback unless you have separately confirmed a rollback procedure for your build; the command documentation does not provide a reversible-workflow guarantee.
• After the command, inspect the tribe controls and ask an affected member to confirm the practical result.

Choosing the correct procedure

Use the following decision path before touching the console:

1. If the requested change concerns a player who should become tribe chief and you control the dedicated server, use the administrator takeover procedure in this article.
2. If the request is from a normal tribe member who wants to hand leadership to a friend, do not substitute the GM command without server-owner authorization. The reviewed material does not verify a routine player-to-player transfer.
3. If the request concerns an NPC tribesman, use the separate in-game Transfer interaction described for that NPC situation, including the online and capacity requirements, rather than the tribe takeover command.

Frequently misunderstood details

Does targeting the former chief matter?

The guide describes targeting a player in the tribe whose permissions you intend to take over. It does not require that the player be the current chief, and it does not state whether the original chief must be online. Targeting a confirmed member of the intended tribe follows the documented wording without assuming an unverified online-status rule.

Will every tribe role transfer automatically?

The documented result is chief permissions for the targeted player’s tribe. The sources do not enumerate every subordinate role, storage permission, recruitment state, or notification affected. Verify the resulting controls in your actual build instead of assuming that every permission category changes identically.

Can the former leader undo the takeover?

No reversible workflow is guaranteed in the available documentation. Treat the command as a consequential administrative intervention and arrange any desired backup or recovery plan through your server’s normal operating procedures before using it.

Practical answer for server owners

For a server owner who needs to regain control of a tribe, the reliable documented sequence is: configure and, if necessary, restart with the administrator password; join the server; open the console with ~ or the supported alternate key; run gm key [administrator password]; confirm the password in the GM panel; target a member of the intended tribe; and enter gm take_over_target_tribe.

For a player asking another player to “give them the tribe,” the evidence supports no equivalent ordinary-member command. Route that request to the server administrator and distinguish it from an NPC tribesman transfer, which is a separate interaction with separate conditions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Soulmask command to change a tribe leader?

The documented administrator command is gm take_over_target_tribe. Authenticate for GM access, target a player in the intended tribe, and run the command.

Can an ordinary tribe member transfer leadership to another player?

A standard player-to-player handoff is not established by the documented command references. Ask the server administrator to check the current build and perform any authorized takeover.

Do I target the tribe leader specifically?

The guide says to target a player in the tribe. It does not require that the target be the current chief, so use a confirmed member of the intended tribe and do not assume an online-status requirement.

Is the server join password enough to use the command?

No. The administrator password is configured as a server launch parameter and is separate from the password players use to join. You must enter it with gm key and confirm it in the GM panel.

What key opens the Soulmask console?

The cited guides list the tilde key (~). One current reference also notes numpad minus as an alternative on some keyboard layouts.

Is transferring an NPC tribesman the same as changing the tribe leader?

No. The July 11, 2024 community instructions concern an NPC, require both players to be online and the receiver to have tribe capacity, and use hold-E followed by Transfer. They do not transfer player chief permissions.

Can the takeover be reversed?

The command documentation does not guarantee a reversible workflow. Treat it as a consequential administrative action and confirm any recovery plan for your server build before using it.

What should I do if the command does nothing?

Confirm GM authentication, check the exact spelling, target a member of the intended tribe, restart after changing the admin password, and verify that the command exists on the installed server build. Do not assume a missing notification proves failure.

The Bottom Line

To change tribe control on a Soulmask dedicated server, configure and authenticate the administrator account, target a confirmed member of the intended tribe, and run gm take_over_target_tribe. This is a documented server-admin takeover, not a verified ordinary player handoff. Keep it separate from NPC tribesman transfer instructions, and verify behavior on your installed build before using the command on live tribe data.

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