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Clarifications and Reminders: I
Clarifications and RemindersAcceptance is not automatic. If I think the character won't fit, I won't accept him. (Gender-neutral 3rd person, if you please.) This doesn't mean he's a bad character--it means he doesn't fit into the campaign background, which is well-documented (and you can always ask me for clarifications). I don't like dice. (Yes, I can do math. But why do unnecessary math? Math majors are lazy.) Combat will be handled through storytelling; I'll take stats and skills into account. If you can't deal with this style of roleplaying, that's fine. Don't apply. (I wouldn't apply to a campaign whose rules I had problems with. Neither should you.) Alignment: I don't use it. If it helps you get started, fine--but I want a personality description, not generic AD&D markers. Add-ons and accommodations: I can accommodate unusual characters, but please be flexible. This is a customized world. I am willing to compromise (e.g. Boyd's character, a psionicist, whom I accepted after some negotiations). But don't expect me to be able to change ANYTHING arbitrarily. Some places have more "holes" and wriggle space than others. Writing sample: Except for players whose playing I've already seen on the echo or elsewhere, I want a good writing sample. This tells me what your moves will be like--and pbem's require better writing skills than tabletop because of the medium's nature. I tutor writing at Cornell U. and have sold 3 short stories, so I know what I'm talking about. My patience for poor writing, especially in a serious campaign, is limited. I've seen pbem's elsewhere with some lousy writers and it just hurt the campaign's quality. HOWEVER, I'm not a grammarian. By all means use improper grammar if it is apropos. (I'm fond of the dramatic fragment, myself.) Don't worry too much about spelling, etc. Spells: Recap: will be assigned. Then we can negotiate. :-) Equipment: Recap: will be assigned. Then we can negotiate. (Sound familiar?) If your background allows, chances are you'll get it. I will be assigning this AFTER characters are in.
Clarifications and Reminders: IIStory hooks: Your character is *never* obliged to walk into a (sub)plot setup in order to make life easier on the GM (though when you can justify it--and do it--the GM is indeed most grateful!). Potential story hooks are there like fruit for the choosing. You have options. You can always turn away and seek something else. I will try to accommodate players' interests but this is much more difficult for some characters than for others, and gametime moves slowly, so I ask for your patience. The nature of this campaign: despite the presence of magic and a seeming "evil" threat, this is not a heroic or good-vs.-evil campaign. People have motivations and follow through on them. Even the wraiths may not be what they seem. If there are poor sanitary conditions, people will suffer disease. If you leap off a 20-ft-high wall, you're gonna get broken bones. "Heroic" deeds and "quests" don't automatically succeed. A character can aspire to heroism...but that character should also be aware of reality and the laws of physics. (OC, sometimes miracles happen. You never know.) Character death: I hope it won't become an issue...but again, you never know. If your character does something incredibly stupid, I will *attempt* to give a strong and easily-recognizable hint that the character is attempting something incredibly stupid. If your character just leaps off a kilometer-high cliff, I'm going to ask if you meant it--and if you did, well, there's no antigravity...and if you've looked at the spell list lately, there aren't any "flying" spells handy (that PCs know of). You'll probably observe that magic is low-powered in this setting (e.g. complete absence of magical items). If your character *persists* in doing something incredibly stupid, I'll just wash my hands of him/her and kill him/her. However, this doesn't mean I'm fond of unescapable death-traps. That's unfair on *my* part. As long as your character shows some sense I won't do anything fatal. Characters may end up in very hairy situations indeed. Just play smart, is all. I'm not in the GMing business because I like killing people off. Responses: If you're not happy with a move I put out, or you find nothing you want/need to respond to, *let me know.* I dislike sitting here waiting for a response when none will be forthcoming, and I shouldn't have to send queries to find out. If you're dissatisfied, that's also grounds for talking to me and I'll try to reach a reasonable accommodation, if possible.
Notes on GameplayIf you can't make a move 'cause your grandmother's ill, or you have a prelim, or whatever--let me know. If you can find the time, give me a general outline of what you want your character to accomplish and I'll run him as a NPC. I shan't abuse the privilege. I prefer 3rd-person moves, present tense. (Your writing sample can be 1st person; it's your character's account of some event in his life.) When you have five people all saying "I" it gets confusing as to who's saying what, even with different writing styles. A typical move should be open-ended, because you can't dictate what other people will do or what will happen. (That's my job.) This means pbem's move more slowly than tabletop games, even allowing for the lower speed of responses. This is ESPECIALLY true of combat. Example: GM'S MOVE At first it seemed like a stray horse in the distance: silhouette ghosting over the weathered rocks, snow settling over mane and tail and hide like a tracery of jewels. Dark shape in the darkness, hooves picking their way delicately across the broken terrain. Hooves--silent, when there should have been snow crunching, impact against stone. And then, as the horse approached, Kit say that it was no horse. A wraith--a unicorn, slashing her horn through the winter wind in a mockery of a salute. It met her eyes, and then it lunged. BAD RESPONSE With lightning speed, Kit drew her dagger and flung it at the vulnerable juncture between head and neck. The dagger struck, drawing what should have been blood. Silver blood, streaming away like melting snow. She prepared her next dagger and, before the wraith could react, went for its legs, wary of the hooves. The dagger slashed once, twice; hamstrung, the wraith fell. GOOD RESPONSE Kit gritted her teeth and slipped one of her daggers from its sheathe. Her fingers were numb; the gloves never did seem to help. Watching the wraith waarily, she flung it at the vulnerable juncture between head and neck. She prayed it would hit. OOC: If the dagger hits, she'll draw her next one, jump to the side and try to hamstring the wraith. Otherwise, she'll run. See the difference? Granted, the "good response" takes longer to play out. But you'll be responding to several things at once. This means you don't get control over the wraith (in this example). So you don't automatically kill things, thankyouverymuch. BUT I will extend the same courtesy to your characters, unless I need to plant information or tell you what's going on around you. If I overstep my bounds, come talk to me. Fair?
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