Nov 12, 2020 6:03 pm
Rules
The rule system we will be using is Liminal and the associated supplements.
Posting Rate
My hope is that players will be able to post AT LEAST 5 times per week. (I know this may not always be possible, so all I ask is a brief OOC note or PM if you will be delayed for some reason.) One of the occurrences that tends to kill many PbP games is a prolonged lull in the action. While I understand that real life happens, and I can guarantee that real life will also happen to me, it can be frustrating when players disappear without comment.
I ask only that if there will be some significant distraction or issue preventing posting for a time, that you let me know. We can arrange for your character to depart from a scene for a time, for him or her to be run as an NPC for a bit, or even be off on some side mission that we can address at a slower rate until things get better. All that I ask is that you communicate.
Tone
I will leave the tone up to the players. My thought is that this will have a serious and sometimes dark undertone, but will also be affirming and hopeful as the characters struggle to make sense of themselves and the changing world they live in. It will not be a world fraught with darkness and gloom, but at times, it certainly can be. I will take my lead from the players.
Narrative
Be creative!
If you color outside the lines, I will say something.
PbP games work best when the players are creative! Feel free to manipulate the world around you in detail and description. I trust my players not to manipulate the world too far to their benefit as most of those who play narrative style games enjoy the story ... not to mention that today's benefit may become tomorrow's albatross. A character who is wealthy may have access to transportation, money, toys, and all the comforts of life, but he is also susceptible to events that threaten these things, or draw him into unintended complications (such as a boss who expects him to take a business trip while he is investigating a particularly vexing murder for his patron).
But, for the most part, be free! Have fun! Be creative! And, if you have any questions about your limitations, PM me.
Rolls and Moves
Sometimes an action and a related roll will be clearly needed for a particular action. However, if in doubt, narrate your character's action and I can prompt you for a roll or move as might be called for in the situation. When in doubt, ask in the OOC of your action post, or, in an appropriate OOC Discussion thread.
Posting In-Character
I will be trying to create a running summary of what has gone before in order to make it searchable and more easily accessible. I will be using a program to capture the in character posts within threads, so keep in mind that if it is not mentioned IN character, it will not be captured. Use the OOC comments for questions or side comments and not official actions or reactions.
Sessions
The game is organized into Scenes. Each Roleplay will be numbered with a numeral followed by a sub-thread number (i.e 1.1 is Scene 1, sub-thread 1, 1.2 is Scene 1, sub-thread 2, and so on). Scenes do not reflect a fixed period of time, they are but an organizational construct to facilitate the beginning and end of a particular event, tale or plotline. There will almost assuredly be ongoing story arcs, and the lives of the characters will grow more intriguing as time moves on.
The Passage of Time
My intent is to allow for the passage of time. I will try and start roleplays with a date, time and location, and as we move, so, too, shall these things move forward. Plots take time to unfold, and games that get bogged down too long in minutiae of character interplay over mundane tasks (like going grocery shopping, driving to a friend's house, etc.) tend to slow down. Many of these things can be done in a flashback memory of the drive to the store or the friend's house and what happened, if necessary at all. I hope to encourage characters to consider the long game, both of their lives (or, un-lives) as well as the plots about them.
If necessary for character or story development, it might be feasible to have a mundane thread going between a couple of characters while also having them engaged in a more direct thread as well.
Some activities can be resolved through custom moves that reflect the passage of considerable time. After all, hitting the streets to question prostitutes on the East Side might not make good roleplay ... at least, not until you come across that shocking answer or intriguing lead!
Character Interaction
It is entirely possible that some characters may not interact frequently, and some may even become engaged in solo threads. This is fine. I am intentionally keeping the player numbers low just so that attention can be given to each character. But, Monster of the Week is a social game. Don't be shy!
There may be a great many NPCs in the game as this is a natural byproduct of the game system, so these might also be targets of interaction. Rather than filling Character pages with oodles of NPCs, many may be placed into the wiki with a brief image and information. If they become frequent flyers, then I may create characters out of them.
Sexual Situations
Romance and sex are a given in life, and they can be an integral part of a good story as well. However, given that this is not intended as an erotic tale, I would prefer that players avoid graphic descriptions of sexual situations and that they exercise discretion on what details they might consider posting. Meaningful descriptions are acceptable, provided that it might benefit the story and character development on the whole. Titillating erotica will tend to run afoul of the MC's tolerant nature. A good "fade to black" can be sufficient for most intense sexual situations. Please keep in mind that these forums are public, and your grandmother might one day stumble across this.
Death
Yes, NPCs will die. And, it is possible for PCs to die as well. If, for some reason, you desire to change characters mid-game, you can take an appropriate Advance for your character that allows you to retire the character, or even change to another archetype (as might be appropriate). Players whose characters die well will be rewarded should they choose to create a new character!
X-Card
Since the themes and issues in the urban fantasy genre are sometimes disturbing and uncomfortable, I will permit the use of the so-called "X-Card". The X-Card is a tool that helps manage difficult content without setting artificial boundaries or flagging uncomfortable topics in advance.
In short, if you are uncomfortable with something, please either PM me (cdwjava), or, post your issue in a new or existing Discussion thread. A private PM to me will not be revealed to the group as a whole, and any concerns or confidences shall be kept as such by me should they arise. Understand that this is an adult game, and that there may well be uncomfortable issues or situations that are presented. But, I - or the poster - may not see offense in (or be triggered by) an event, description, or action in the same way that you might be, so please let me know. This game is meant to be fun, so let's try and work together to that end!
More on the X-Card can be found in this document by John Stavropolous.
The rule system we will be using is Liminal and the associated supplements.
Posting Rate
My hope is that players will be able to post AT LEAST 5 times per week. (I know this may not always be possible, so all I ask is a brief OOC note or PM if you will be delayed for some reason.) One of the occurrences that tends to kill many PbP games is a prolonged lull in the action. While I understand that real life happens, and I can guarantee that real life will also happen to me, it can be frustrating when players disappear without comment.
I ask only that if there will be some significant distraction or issue preventing posting for a time, that you let me know. We can arrange for your character to depart from a scene for a time, for him or her to be run as an NPC for a bit, or even be off on some side mission that we can address at a slower rate until things get better. All that I ask is that you communicate.
Tone
I will leave the tone up to the players. My thought is that this will have a serious and sometimes dark undertone, but will also be affirming and hopeful as the characters struggle to make sense of themselves and the changing world they live in. It will not be a world fraught with darkness and gloom, but at times, it certainly can be. I will take my lead from the players.
Narrative
Be creative!
If you color outside the lines, I will say something.
PbP games work best when the players are creative! Feel free to manipulate the world around you in detail and description. I trust my players not to manipulate the world too far to their benefit as most of those who play narrative style games enjoy the story ... not to mention that today's benefit may become tomorrow's albatross. A character who is wealthy may have access to transportation, money, toys, and all the comforts of life, but he is also susceptible to events that threaten these things, or draw him into unintended complications (such as a boss who expects him to take a business trip while he is investigating a particularly vexing murder for his patron).
But, for the most part, be free! Have fun! Be creative! And, if you have any questions about your limitations, PM me.
Rolls and Moves
Sometimes an action and a related roll will be clearly needed for a particular action. However, if in doubt, narrate your character's action and I can prompt you for a roll or move as might be called for in the situation. When in doubt, ask in the OOC of your action post, or, in an appropriate OOC Discussion thread.
Posting In-Character
I will be trying to create a running summary of what has gone before in order to make it searchable and more easily accessible. I will be using a program to capture the in character posts within threads, so keep in mind that if it is not mentioned IN character, it will not be captured. Use the OOC comments for questions or side comments and not official actions or reactions.
Sessions
The game is organized into Scenes. Each Roleplay will be numbered with a numeral followed by a sub-thread number (i.e 1.1 is Scene 1, sub-thread 1, 1.2 is Scene 1, sub-thread 2, and so on). Scenes do not reflect a fixed period of time, they are but an organizational construct to facilitate the beginning and end of a particular event, tale or plotline. There will almost assuredly be ongoing story arcs, and the lives of the characters will grow more intriguing as time moves on.
The Passage of Time
My intent is to allow for the passage of time. I will try and start roleplays with a date, time and location, and as we move, so, too, shall these things move forward. Plots take time to unfold, and games that get bogged down too long in minutiae of character interplay over mundane tasks (like going grocery shopping, driving to a friend's house, etc.) tend to slow down. Many of these things can be done in a flashback memory of the drive to the store or the friend's house and what happened, if necessary at all. I hope to encourage characters to consider the long game, both of their lives (or, un-lives) as well as the plots about them.
If necessary for character or story development, it might be feasible to have a mundane thread going between a couple of characters while also having them engaged in a more direct thread as well.
Some activities can be resolved through custom moves that reflect the passage of considerable time. After all, hitting the streets to question prostitutes on the East Side might not make good roleplay ... at least, not until you come across that shocking answer or intriguing lead!
Character Interaction
It is entirely possible that some characters may not interact frequently, and some may even become engaged in solo threads. This is fine. I am intentionally keeping the player numbers low just so that attention can be given to each character. But, Monster of the Week is a social game. Don't be shy!
There may be a great many NPCs in the game as this is a natural byproduct of the game system, so these might also be targets of interaction. Rather than filling Character pages with oodles of NPCs, many may be placed into the wiki with a brief image and information. If they become frequent flyers, then I may create characters out of them.
Sexual Situations
Romance and sex are a given in life, and they can be an integral part of a good story as well. However, given that this is not intended as an erotic tale, I would prefer that players avoid graphic descriptions of sexual situations and that they exercise discretion on what details they might consider posting. Meaningful descriptions are acceptable, provided that it might benefit the story and character development on the whole. Titillating erotica will tend to run afoul of the MC's tolerant nature. A good "fade to black" can be sufficient for most intense sexual situations. Please keep in mind that these forums are public, and your grandmother might one day stumble across this.
Death
Yes, NPCs will die. And, it is possible for PCs to die as well. If, for some reason, you desire to change characters mid-game, you can take an appropriate Advance for your character that allows you to retire the character, or even change to another archetype (as might be appropriate). Players whose characters die well will be rewarded should they choose to create a new character!
X-Card
Since the themes and issues in the urban fantasy genre are sometimes disturbing and uncomfortable, I will permit the use of the so-called "X-Card". The X-Card is a tool that helps manage difficult content without setting artificial boundaries or flagging uncomfortable topics in advance.
In short, if you are uncomfortable with something, please either PM me (cdwjava), or, post your issue in a new or existing Discussion thread. A private PM to me will not be revealed to the group as a whole, and any concerns or confidences shall be kept as such by me should they arise. Understand that this is an adult game, and that there may well be uncomfortable issues or situations that are presented. But, I - or the poster - may not see offense in (or be triggered by) an event, description, or action in the same way that you might be, so please let me know. This game is meant to be fun, so let's try and work together to that end!
More on the X-Card can be found in this document by John Stavropolous.