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The group is primarily based in the Discord server. You can read the rules and whatnot by joining it, but they are also transcribed here:
For those unfamiliar with roleplaying terms, let us review some common abbreviations you may see other players use:
RP = RolePlay
RPG = RolePlaying Game
OC = Original Character (any fictional character you create)
OOC = Out Of Character
IC = In Character
GM = God Modding (we will get into this soon)
MG = MetaGaming
PP = PowerPlaying
OP = OverPowered, or Original Poster/Player (based on context)
How the Server Operates
There are 3 main types of channels:
OOC is where all Out Of Character discussion goes. You can just be yourself there.
Open IC channels are made for fast and spontaneous roleplay. They have predefined persistent settings (which you can read in each channel's description) which have been kept intentionally vague and broad in scope, sort of like open worlds in video games. They are designed to be the easiest to jump into; You can either ask to join an ongoing story, or have your character perform a small action independent of any story, leaving the door open for someone to respond organically. Also make sure to add a sentence or two introducing the character you're playing as, so people aren't confused. You do not need to find a group beforehand to participate here, but you can if you wish. Just keep in mind your group won't be the only group. There may be multiple separate interactions going on at once, so try not to mix up the stories, and don't jump into an ongoing RP without first asking politely (using <<double arrows>> to denote OOC messages in IC channels). To start, there will be one instance of each setting, but as the server grows, we may make more copies to reduce channel clutter.
Reservable IC channels are designed for more serious groups of roleplayers, and more closely resemble traditional forum roleplaying. To get started, find a group and agree on a setting/plot, then find a dormant Tabula Rasa (Blank Slate) channel and have one person post an "anchor post" in #anchors with a description of that setting and the names of involved players. Make sure to specifiy which channel you want to reserve. You don't have to go beyond that, but more information is appreciated by readers. An anchor post reserves a channel for the people listed on the anchor, and the channel will stay reserved as long as they continue posting. If 24 hours go by without a new post, the channel is classified as "dormant" and anyone can gather a group and post a new anchor, overwriting the previous story's reservation. During that time, anyone may spectate, but only those who reserved it can post. If someone is posting who shouldn't be, contact staff and we will sort it out. This should hopefully strike a balance between giving players enough time to live their lives outside the server, but also give active players opportunities to start new stories. You can find a template for an anchor post in #helpful-templates.
(NOTE: The server/group is still new, so these are somewhat experimental. Be sure to use the #feedback channel in the server if any problems arise. We want the experience to be as smooth as possible.)
General Rules (applicable at all times, even during roleplay):
1. Speak English. Conlangs (made up languages) are allowed.
2. Listen to tavern staff and obey their warnings. Repeat offenses will result in a ban.
3. Do not spam or flood chat with messages, and do not type in all caps. You will be muted.
4. No excessive vulgarity in messages or nicknames.
5. No gore, and no explicitly sexual or NSFW (18+) content.
6. No political or controversial messages meant to stir up impassioned arguments. Civil discussion is allowed in the #off-topic channel only.
7. Do not advertise other servers or websites.
8. No referral or monetized links, no shortened links, and no links to malicious downloads. These will result in an instant ban.
9. Obey Discord's Terms of Service.
Roleplaying is a fun, free game that caters to many interests with almost no barrier to entry. We here at the Crystal Ball Tavern have done everything in our power to keep it that way, but some conditions still apply to keep everything running smoothly...
Roleplay Rules and Guidelines (only applicable in IC channels):
Subsection 1: Etiquette
1. It is respectful to establish an order and take turns posting so that everyone has equal opportunity to participate. If all players agree and can handle it, there is also the option of free-for-all posting. The former is the default, and is better for 1st or 3rd person narratives, while the latter option may be better for dialogue-based stories.
2. If you wish to ask or say something OOC in an IC channel to the other players, you may do so sparingly by putting <<double arrows>> around the message. This is useful if another player accidentally breaks a rule, if you need clarification on something, or if you want to ask to join an ongoing RP. Otherwise, do not break character.
3. If your OC says something aloud, put it in "quotation marks". If information is directly communicated through sign language, telepathy, a passage in a book, or translated from another language, you should put [brackets] around it instead. This is to keep everyone on the same page.
4. Given that this is Discord, and not a traditional forum roleplay site, we do not expect you to write whole paragraphs, but if you can, we encourage it. We also don’t want you writing one sentence at a time, because that’s lazy. The bare minimum should be around 3 sentences, unless you’re doing a back-and-forth dialogue thing. If you can’t think of something to do or say, maybe describe the scenery or your character’s inner thoughts. You want to make sure you have enough material there to allow the other players to keep the story going.
5. Do not overwrite another group’s reservation of a Tabula Rasa (Blank Slate) channel unless it is dormant, which means 24 hours have passed without a new post there. Doing so will get your posts in that channel deleted to be fair to the first group. In the same vein, do not reserve more than one channel at once. Reserving a second channel will render the first reservation void.
6. Do not steal another user's OC and use them in roleplay without the creator's express permission. Any ongoing roleplay that violates this rule will be abruptly halted should the creator request it, and the offending user warned. Repeat offenses will result in a ban. This rule does not apply to widely known fictional characters (Harry Potter, Batman, Shrek, and so on).
7. Minor spelling and grammar errors will be forgiven, but you must show that you are trying. If they happen too often or too egregiously, you will be warned and given tips to improve. If you need help, we recommend using spellcheck, or typing posts in a word processor like Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or Pages, and then pasting the text into Discord.
Subsection 2: How to Properly Roleplay
1. Players adopt the personas of Original Characters (OCs) they've created, or those of widely known fictional characters, and post messages to create a collaborative story. This is the core of roleplay in general. If you’ve never designed an OC, we encourage you to try. Either check out our #helpful-templates page for a template, or google it.
2. At least 2 players are needed to roleplay, but there is no upper limit as long as you all can keep track. You can roleplay as more than one OC in any given RP, but it might get confusing. If you do this, we recommend not trying to play as more than two OCs at once. If you wish to go further, you might as well write a novel.
3. The goal of the game is not to get the best outcome for your character. It is to create an immersive story that thrills and entertains the players taking part in it. Whether your OC prospered or suffered, you won if you had fun and helped craft an interesting and memorable story.
4. Remember, you are not your OC. Think of yourself as an actor in a movie. You will inevitably learn things your OC does not know. Play your character as if they know only what they have actually experienced in their story, or else the plot will stop making sense. Similarly, if someone else's OC is mean to your OC, do not take it personally. Use it as an opportunity to advance the plot in an interesting way.
5. Do not give your character ridiculous god-like powers that ruin the flow of the plot and break immersion. That is called God Modding, Metagaming, or Powerplaying. Be especially careful when using magic and participating in combat.
(To clarify, you can still use your god or demigod OCs in RP, provided they are limited in some way. Maybe they don’t have access to their full powers for whatever reason, or maybe they have a time limit on them. Get creative with it. Witches and other magical beings are allowed to cast spells, but use your best judgement. Remember, every action/post should help advance the plot while also giving other players an opening to respond.)
6. Do not presume the actions of another player's OC. This is an extension of God Modding. You did not create the other player's character, so you cannot claim to know how they would react in any given situation. Write only for your own character, and give the other players a fair chance to respond.
7. Do not kill off another player's character unless killing is expressly allowed in the given RP scenario, and your character has bested theirs in combat (see subsection 3 for combat rules). In addition, any OC that dies in a given RP is allowed to be reset at the end of that session for use in other unrelated RPs. If a new scenario is a sequel or follow-up to an older scenario where your OC died, that OC should stay dead unless all players agree on a method/reason for resurrection. In Open IC channels, reviving rules are more relaxed because it would be impossible to keep track of who died where. Just wait a day or two after someone dies to bring them back.
Subsection 3: Roleplay Combat
1. To engage in RP fighting/combat, one player posts a message containing hostile actions towards another, and the target will post a message containing the outcome of those actions and then take actions of their own. Then the first player does the same, and so on back and forth.
2. It is proper etiquette to message the player you wish to attack OOC before attacking them, regardless of whether the fight is random or a natural progression of the story. This way you can work out how exactly you want to fight. We also highly recommend you decide who the winner will be beforehand in order to avoid drawn out fights or OOC drama.
3. Understand that some people simply do not like to roleplay fights. We are all in this for the enjoyment factor, so it is extremely rude to push or pressure anyone into a fight they don’t want to have. If the answer is No, leave it at that and find some other way to advance the story.
4. After you’ve messaged the other player and established the terms of the fight, do not go back on your word and change the rules midfight. That is called Cheesing, and is incredibly unfair and rude.
5. Refer back to Subsection 2 - rules 3, 4, 5, and 6. In the context of combat roleplay, they are the most important. Since the target of the hostile actions decides the outcome, they can easily just dodge everything, but that’s breaking the rules we just mentioned. Use your best judgement to keep it fair and fun.
6. The best roleplay fights have a good mix of major hits, minor hits, dodges, misses, and everything in between. Remember that in a real fight, there is often a combination of thrown punches, kicks, grappling, and all manner of different fighting styles. We recommend you be aware of the sort of fighter your character is supposed to be in order to write better, more immersive fights.
7. Do not cram one post full of actions. That is known as Stacking, which is really just another derivative of God Modding. Think of each post as only a few moments in time, and consider how fast your character would have to move to perform so many actions so quickly. Unless you’re roleplaying as the Flash, you should limit each post to one or two new actions.
8. Something more experienced players can do is to fight with Autohit rules. In this case, you are allowed to presume the actions of another player’s character insofar as it pertains to reacting to your attacks. Basically, you decide if they dodge your attack or get hit, not them. If Autohit is used when not explicitly agreed upon, it falls under God Modding. We recommend Autohit only be used between players who trust each other and are familiar with each other’s OCs.
9. If you win, don’t insult another player’s character for losing. Hopefully, that should be obvious. They let you win. Next time, perhaps consider letting someone else bask in the glory. If you wish, you can even start plotting with the losing character’s player for a revenge story!
(By continuing further into the server/group, you certify that you have read these rules and agree to follow them.)
