The #Odain FAQ Version 1.4 As written and compiled by the Odain GMs: Kou Aidou Glazius Falconar Antaeus Feldspar Justin Rau Amanda Van Rhyn With much help and support from the crowd in #RPTalk (too many of you to list, but thanks, guys). Updates Log * 1.4 - Current as of June 17th, 2002 Let's say it again, kids: Section II has been (semi-)overhauled! (It's a shame about this whole "game developments" bit, isn't it?) JR's name has been added to the GM masthead above, and Section Ia -- a Brief History of Odain -- has been added between I and II. Various revisions have been made throughout, and new Glossary entries have been added. No chips yet. Keep hoping, True Believers! * 1.3 - Current as of September 30, 2001 It's been too long. It really has. Section II has been overhauled again, based on the newest developments in the Heart, and assorted other changes necessary throughout have been made. All that, and new Glossary stuff. (Sadly, no bag of chips -- look for that when 1.4 comes through.) * 1.2 - Current as of September 18, 2000 Some rather massive changes to Section II: long-overdue changes to reflect the fire, more caves added, and more information on the surface added. Guidelines for players wishing to play multiple characters has been added to the Players section, and parts of the profile outline have been slightly edited. Finally, Section VI -- A Final Note -- has been added. * 1.1 - Current as of June 1, 2000 More terms added to the Glossary, character submission information revised, several caves added to the world description, and a few small editing issues throughout. Oh, and an Updates Log added. * 1.00 - Current as of March 1, 2000 The first edition, released with Odain's opening. I. #Odain -- a Rough Overview 1. Q: What is #Odain? A: Odain is: 1) A huge and mysterious mountain on an unnamed world, honeycombed inside with tunnels and caves, leading to strange and mysterious places. 2) A roleplay taking place in that world. 3) The IRC channel in which this roleplay takes place. 2. Q: Roleplaying? What's that? How do I do it? A: Roleplaying is a form of interactive, improvised storytelling through the use of character dialogue and action. The players play the roles of their characters -- thus the name. Through the interaction of the characters, the world, and its situations, a wide range of plots and stories can be created. Roleplaying may seem daunting, but learning how to do it is fairly simple. If you're just starting, feel free to watch the roleplay in #Odain to get a feeling for the room and its characters. (See section III.2 for the etiquette you should follow while you're in an RP room.) Next, you can create an avatar, a character you'll play in live interaction. Try to create an avatar who will interact with others to make the story more interesting for all involved. Use the feel you got from watching #Odain to help you, and feel free to ask other players what goes into making a good avatar; most people should be happy to help you create a character if you're polite. 3. Q: IRC? What's that? How do I do it? A: IRC stands for Internet Relay Chat, a specialized form of chat using a specific program. For further information on IRC in general, and the server on which #Odain is run in particular, check out http://lefty.simplenet.com/svam/chat.html. 4. Q: What is the overall plot flavor of #Odain? A: The overall plot flavor of #Odain is that of the 'tinyplot' -- that is, character interaction. Although plots may involve many characters and events, there will also be many plots that take place only between a few characters. As characters interact, these plots develop from their interaction and relationships. Ia. A Brief History of Odain In-Character: Nobody currently living in the Heart is quite sure when, or how, or why the world of Odain or the 'hotel' called the Heart of the Mountain came into existence. The first of the current occupants to arrive was one Owen Dulsinger, who (by his own reckoning) spent a number of months alone in the Heart before anyone else arrived; when those others finally did arrive, many of them had been freshly jerked away from their homeworlds, while many others were involuntary emigrants from another interdimensional "common ground" known as the Nexus. Gradually, though, the many disparate elements settled down and formed what amounted to a community. Many things occurred during this time, but most of them are not on the level of history -- friendships were formed and love was found; new caves and tunnels were discovered; there were good times and bad times, just like there are anywhere. But perhaps the next truly momentous event was a catastrophe on a level few had anticipated: what started as a fist- fight escalated, and the unwise use of a military robot resulted in the Heart catching fire and burning down. Most inhabitants managed to get out, but many did not, and for some time the refugees were forced to live in the tunnels and survive on cave fish, mushrooms, and their wits. Eventually, though, there was a light at the end of the tunnel. The inhabitants succeeded at finding a way to rebuild the Heart, although it possessed little of its former glory; nonetheless, it was the Heart, and that was blessing enough. The only dangerous aspect was the fact that a dark power, one that called itself the Impurity, made itself -- and its intentions to conquer the Heart -- publically known. Nonetheless, the Heart's inhabitants resumed something resembling normal life. Indeed, for a time things were again normal; at the edges of the Heart lurked death and danger, but for most life was good again. Things continued along this uneventful course until disaster once again struck. During a wedding ceremony (for two elven women, of all things) the tunnels flew into chaos, and the Impurity presented itself with a show of triumphant carnage. Indeed, it seemed that, for whatever reason, the Heart had "died": the magic of the place no longer functioned, and the the tunnels had stopped moving. Although the Heart was intact, it was inert, and life was scattered again, much as it had been between the fire and rebuilding. However, powers that at least seemed allied with the inhabitants and the forces of good arrived to guide the inhabitants towards a solution. Groups of Heart residents quested valiantly through a number of travails, and one discovered the cause of the Heart's death: a machine produced by a group heretofore virtually unknown, one not affiliated with the Impurity but assisting it. Once the machine was destroyed, Heart has seemed to resurrect itself again; the tunnels move, and the Heart's magic has returned, although it is not yet at full strength. And here things stand, after the second resurrection of the Heart. It is certain that in all the inhabitants' minds lie a hope that things can quiet down for a while. Out-of-Character: #Odain was first envisioned in early 2000 upon the announcement that #Nexus-R, a popular and long-running roleplaying game, was ending. Many players felt dissatisfied with the ending of #NR and the idea that the characters and tinyplots they had created would thus end abruptly; therefore, a group of players began to talk about creating a new game that would allow the characters from #NR to continue their tinyplots in a new world. After various discussions and decisions, #Odain was launched as such a game in March 2000. Since then... well, some things have changed, and some haven't. The game has been guided a little more by GM-based plots than we ever expected -- there's more here than the original "tinyplot room with GM refereeing" idea -- but the nuts and bolts of the game are still very much the same. It's been a wild ride, and we suspect (and hope!) it'll stay wild. II. The World of Odain 1. Q: What is the overall concept and tone of the world? A: The world is known as Odain, a mysterious planet that seems to drag people from other worlds and dimensions to it. The most prominent feature of Odain is a large mountain, filled with caves and tunnels that seem to change directions and content on a daily basis. The one constant within this mountain is the hotel at the heart of it, which is set in the style of a 1930s Grand Hotel. Before a great tragedy befell this hotel, it was well-appointed and had comfortable rooms for every character who wished to stay, along with gourmet food catered by means of a dumbwaiter... but with no apparent staff or means of maintenance. As it stands, though, many of the amenities are still in place, even if the Hotel is humbler now. Aside from the Hotel, other mysteries lie within the mountain. There's a wide-ranging network of tunnels that seem to change direction, along with caverns with a wide array of mysterious properties. In short, there's no telling what a character could find. The overall tone of the Odain world is serious and occasionally dark and gritty, with inspiration from modern anime and 'hard' science fiction/fantasy. However, this doesn't mean that everything that takes place is serious; lightheartedness and gentle humor has its place in Odain. For the most part, though, submitted characters should fit in with the serious tone, and any non-serious character submitted should be able to interact and develop as meaningfully as a serious character. 2. Q: What are the specific areas of interest in Odain? A: There are several major areas of the Odain world that characters can interact in and explore. These major areas are: 1. The Surface Little is yet known about the surface at this time. When the first wave of characters arrived to Odain, it was engulfed in blizzards, forcing them to seek shelter elsewhere. The blizzards have recently ceased, and the weather on the surface is now mild; many PCs now know of the route to and from the surface, so it's open for exploration. What the PCs have been able to explore of the surface so far is grassy, temperate, and plains-like. There's local flora and fauna, but none of it is particularly unusual or dangerous. The only real special feature that's notable on the surface is that, if a PC who can fly attempts to do so, they will meet with sudden and very powerful wind resistance that wasn't there before. Recent developments have revealed that there is -- or, rather, was -- at least one settlement on the surface. This settlement was a village that was destroyed by a blizzard some time ago; nonetheless, as the only other settlement of interdimensional 'refugees' known to the Heart as of yet, it is still very significant. 2. The Tunnels and Caverns Inside the mountain, a long and twisting network of tunnels connects various caverns. These tunnels have few distinguishing features, although they seem to be relatively smooth and easy to walk through. Most of the tunnel walls are coated in a form of luminous moss; this moss is edible to humans and most humanoids, if they try to eat it. There are also occasional underground streams in the tunnel network, with relatively clean water and edible fish. (Mostly edible fish, that is; some of the more brightly-colored types have proven themselves to be poisonous. This poison isn't fatal, but it could have unfortunate consequences for any PCs eating such fish.) An interesting trait of the tunnels is that they seem to change direction and length over time; mapping the tunnels will show that they certainly don't stay constant. However, characters attempting to get to a certain known cavern will virtually always get there, and those lost or wandering will almost inevitably end up in the Grand Hotel. Since the beginning of settlement in Odain, several major caverns have been discovered in the network of tunnels. Perhaps the most major of these is the Hot Springs Cave, a large, high-ceilinged cavern located close to the Hotel whose main feature is the group of large-ish natural hot springs at its center. These hot springs are actually pleasantly warm, at a near-perfect temperature for bathing. Four of the other caves discovered by PCs seem to be similar in form and function; each one is essentially a musical cavern, with an elemental focus. The four caves are known as the ice cave, the wind cave, the fire cave, and the earth cave. The ice cave is made up of stalagtites, from which water drops fall and create a melody when they hit the floor. The wind cave creates a melody from wind blowing through crags in the rock, while the fire cave's music is created when lava forces steam through a complicated series of pipes. The earth cave is the newest and worst-known of the four, but its music appears to come from gently shifting crystal chimes. The final notable cave in the current tunnel system is important not so much for its natural features as for the grim uses the inhabitants of Odain have made of it; the sandy-floored cave serves as a burial ground for characters who have died. To date, there are ten graves marked in the burial ground; nine of them are merely outlined and marked with stones, while one is covered with an elaborate crystal outgrowth. Aside from these, there are other caves in Odain that have been noted but have yet to be adequately explored. These include the Skunk Cavern (named for its smell; this cave is little explored for a reason), another little-known cave once used in a complicated act of ritual magic, and a small niche in a tunnel wall that contains the cairn for another late resident of the tunnels. 3. The Grand Hotel (Heart of the Mountain) The Grand Hotel is a marvelous example of American 1920's architecture, made all the more incongruous by the fact that it seems to be built into the side of the main cave. Before the fire that destroyed it, and its subsequent revival in a reduced form, the Hotel was indeed impressive. The main area for play in the Grand Hotel, before the fire, was the Lobby/Ballroom, which was actually two rooms connected by a large open archway. The Lobby was merely the main entrance area to the Hotel, with the check-in desk and a limited amount of seating in the form of large ornamental padded benches. There was a large marble fountain roughly in the center of the lobby, done in a highly ornamental Art Deco style and with a constant flow of clear water. The effect of the fountain was accentuated by the chandelier just above it, a large and magnificent work of crystal hanging from a secure chain in the ceiling that provided bright light to both rooms. The only other major features of the Lobby were a large carpeted staircase heading up and a cork bulletin board on one wall by the front desk, complete with a supply of paper, thumbtacks, and a fountain pen. The Ballroom was a considerably larger room, but a great deal of its area was taken up with empty space -- in other words, the dance floor. The dance floor was flanked on three sides with a large number of circular tables and chairs; there were enough that the guests at a large ball could be seated comfortably. There was a wet bar along one wall of the room, with a wide selection of beverages (alcoholic and non-) and further bartop/stool space. Furthermore, there was a raised stage area on the one side of the dance floor not flanked by tables; this raised stage area contained only an empty bandstand and a solitary player piano. This player piano played soft, non- obtrusive mood music most of the time, but when a character enters the room, it may have begun playing something else. (In other words, it played player-piano instrumental versions of character themes.) Directly upstairs from the Lobby was what could perhaps be considered the second floor of the hotel -- the Balcony. This Balcony completely encircled the Lobby and features more padded benches; its floor was about 15 feet up from the Lobby, and it was surrounded by a safety railing on all sides. The staircase continued up to the actual hotel rooms, and it was joined by an elaborate wrought-iron cage elevator that only went up. The elevator had buttons numbered from 2 to 15. Floor 2 is the Balcony (the Lobby would be Floor 1, but the elevator didn't go down that far), Floors 3-14 were standard floors of hotel rooms, and Floor 15 was the Conservatory (to be discussed later). Lodging in the Hotel was handled rather simply. When a character arrived, a key for them appeared in a drawer at the front desk; these keys were brass, with large brass keychains labeled with the room number. (The drawer only contained one key at a time, and any attempt to take out a key by a character who already has one was met with failure, unless they had a legitimate reason to need another copy of their key.) Each floor of rooms, from 3 to 14, contained 20 rooms; these rooms were divided into two wings, the East Wing and the West Wing, and the rooms were numbered from 1-10 in each wing. (For example, the 8th room in the West Wing of the 10th floor would have been Room 1008W.) Each room was customized to fit its occupant's personality. (This means that players had some freedom to customize their character's rooms, and all furnishings met the character's needs -- so, say, a character who didn't use a normal human bed would receive their alternative.) However, on the whole, they conformed to the basic design of a comfortably-furnished 1920's-era hotel room, with an Art Deco style. Each room had a standard hotel-room bathroom as well. Aside from the Ballroom/Lobby and hotel rooms, there were various other play areas available in the Hotel. One such area was the Infirmary; a door in the Lobby opened to this relatively crude but useful medical post. It contained five beds and cabinets filled with basic medical supplies, enough to treat most everyday injuries. These supplies were restocked nightly. Another site of play were the Conservatory, the only thing on the 15th Floor (which could only be reached by the elevator). This was a greenhouse filled with a wide variety of flora, both exotic and mundane; the atmosphere was humid and pleasantly warm, and it was always sunny (in the daytime, anyway.) The walls of the Conservatory were made out of semi-opaque glass that let light in but prevented characters from seeing what was outside the walls; this glass was also unbreakable. Finally, there were two other features in the Hotel for the convenience of the characters staying there. The first such convenience was the dumbwaiters, located by the wet bar in the Ballroom and by the front desk in the Lobby. These dumbwaiters dispensed food to characters; the character had to actively think about what they want, but the dumbwaiter could create anything a character could think of as food. Each floor also had a laundry chute, directly across from the elevator; any clothing dumped down this laundry chute would reappear in its owner's room in about an hour, clean and neatly folded (and smelling springtime fresh). The chute wasn't large enough for human-sized characters to fall down, but smaller characters (say, those under four feet tall or so) could conceivably fit down one. If such a thing happened, the character would reappear in his/her/its room in about an hour, ridiculously clean and unable to recall what happened after falling down the chute. As conditions currently stand in the Heart, the area available for play is essentially the Lobby and Ballroom as outlined above, with some changes. Some of the tables and chairs from the Ballroom have been brought into the Lobby, and stone benches are also in place. In the tables' place in the Ballroom are bedrolls; strewn wildly around the Ballroom and dance floor, the bedrolls serve as the Hotel inhabitants' sleep arrangements. The Infirmary is still available for character use, accessed through a door from the Lobby; Full restrooms (male and female) are also available through doors from the lobby. The stairs, without their carpeting, and the balcony are still in evidence, but there's no trace of the elevator. The fountain is the same as it was in the old Hotel -- in fact, it even seems to be sporting the beginnings of a growing crystal statue. Additionally, the first floor of rooms is available for characters to sleep in, although most or all of them are occupied; these rooms can be accessed via a fire escape. The dumbwaiter is still available to the characters in the Hotel; however, it seems to work slightly differently from its former incarnation. On (rare) occasion, the dumbwaiter will produce food that, while healthy and normal-looking, is quite unpleasant-tasting. (Also, it's important to mention that, under some conditions, the dumbwaiter can produce things other than food; however, characters attempting to abuse this option may end up with unpleasant results.) III. The Players 1. Q: What are the steps for creating a character? A: The basic steps are as follows: 1. Read the guidelines for characters included here and develop a character concept. Characters come in many varieties, including "original-concept" (an original character, from an original universe); "canon" (an existing character from a universe that already exists in literature or media); "canonverse" (an original character from a universe that already exists in literature or media); or "metaconcept" (a substantially altered version of an existing character from a universe that already exists in literature or media.) Whether dealing with an original character or canon, it's important to have a strong idea of that character's personality. Since character interaction constitutes much more of Odain interaction than combat does, it's very important to know and to establish what your character's personality allows and doesn't. In addition to this, when dealing with existing universes, there are some guidelines to keep in mind. Odain uses exactly one version of each 'canon' universe; this means that only one version of a canon character can exist in Odain continuity, and your character must come from the same continuity as those others from the same universe. 2. Next, look over the other PCs on the list and start asking yourself questions. Why do you want to play your character? What will their personality add to the environment, and how will their presence enrich Odain? If you can't think of a way in which your character's presence would enrich the environment and the gaming of other players, you should probably reconsider playing that character. 3. Once you've got your character concept completely fleshed out, you need to fill out a profile for the character. A profile is basically an information sheet on your character -- it allows other players to know what your character looks like, acts like, and can do, as well as providing you with a basis for your own roleplaying. Be clear and thorough while writing the profile; don't over-describe, but give all the detail you think others need to know about your character. The various sections of a profile that should be filled out are as follows: Name: The simple name of your character. This should also be the IRC nickname you plan to use while in character. It should be reasonably short. Real Name: The character's full, real name. In most cases, this will be somewhat redundant with the other Name field; however, if your character uses an alias, things could be different. Played By: Your (the player's) name (and, hopefully, your e-mail address). Homeworld: The world/universe from which the character is drawn. In the case of non-canon worlds, a simple "original" is sufficient, perhaps with a short world description: "original high fantasy." For canon worlds, something to the effect of " universe" is sufficient. Also, in the case of canon worlds, note whether there's any time or history difference something along the lines of " universe, five years before the beginning" or " universe, alternate continuity." Physical Description: A simple description of what your character looks like. There's no need to be poetic in this, but it should be clearly descriptive enough for other players to get a feel for the avatar's appearance. Important things to note are the character's race, sex, height, weight, approximate build, skin/eye/hair colors, typical outfit, and visible distinguishing marks (tattoos, scars, etc.) Powers: An explanation of your character's supernatural powers, if any. These powers, by definition, are unavailable to normal humans; magical/psi abilities, enhanced senses, innate racial powers that resemble magic, resistances, immunities, and the like are typical examples of powers. In addition to this, unusual ability in traits like physical strength, speed, and endurance are usually recorded under Powers. Weaknesses: The character's weak points and vulnerabilities, both mental and physical. The phrase 'normal human' is frequently used in the Weaknesses section of profiles; this denotes that the avatar has the same vulnerability to injury, disease, and other damage as a normal human being. Skills: Abilities possessed by your character that normal humans could learn. This includes combat and martial arts skills, professional skills, hobbies, and anything else that can be learned and taught. (For example, a character's raw magic ability and spells would be Powers, but their knowledge of the laws and science of magic would be Skills.) Equipment: The various supplies and possessions your character brings to Odain. Much of this can be consolidated under general category headings; for example, a doctor could be referred to as carrying 'basic medical supplies.' However, for exceptional, magical, or otherwise important items, a clear description of their structure and function should be here. Personality: A description of your character's behavior, mannerisms, and treatment of other people. In many cases, with a new character, personality can be left somewhat vague, as a great deal of the character's personality will be defined through roleplay. Overall, this section is the one that can be left most vague on the profile. Connections: A list of the major individuals whom the character knows in Odain; these are relatively important individuals in the character's life, such as relatives, loved ones, and good friends. For the most part, for new characters, this section should have 'none', unless the character knows a preexisting Odain avatar. Background: An optional profile section, this allows you to explain the history and story behind your avatar's existence. If you use it, it can be as detailed or as vague as you want; the purpose of Background is to inform your fellow players about your avatar, so feel free to be as open or secretive as seems right. OOC Purpose: Another optional section, OOC Purpose is useful if you're afraid your avatar will be misunderstood by your fellow players. In it, you have freedom to explain why you want to play your avatar: how the avatar will interact, its impact on Odain, and your personal roleplaying goals. 4. After your profile's finished, it's time to submit it to the mailing list for peer review. The Odain Mailing List is specifically for profiles and announcements, and all players should subscribe; the address to subscribe is OdainRP-subscribe@onelist.com. Once you're on the mailing list, send a copy of the profile over it. Other players will offer commentary and critiques on your profile and, if necessary, suggest ways to improve it. Don't be upset if your first version of a profile gets a lot of critique or is unworkable; character creation is a learning process, and you can do as many revisions of a character as you need to until it's good. 5. Once the profile has had a few days to filter down the Mailing List (we recommend at least three days), you need to call a meeting and discuss your character on IRC. It's your responsibility to call such a meeting; if your scheduling is unusually strange, explain things to a GM. At least three GMs need to be at the meeting. The purpose of the meeting is just to smooth out any wrinkles in the character and answer questions not brought up on the mailing list. The character's profile will be pasted for review into the channel, with questions and answers following each section. This is primarily informal; don't worry about being interrogated. 6. Finally, after you've chatted on IRC about your character and edited the profile, if necessary, send the final profile version to the Odain Web page maintainer, Glazius Falconar, at GlaziusFalconar@peoplepc.com Make sure to edit the profile for grammar and spelling before you send -- it's considerate and saves Glazius work. (However, Glazius does log IRC discussion sessions; if the only changes to a profile are typo-editing and the like, you don't need to send him an edited version.) (Note from Glazius: If at all possible, line-wrap your profiles to 80 characters a line maximum and send two versions, one with line breaks and one without. This is only in the interest of callow avoidance of work on my part, and I'm not about to toss out anything for formatting unless you've got one character a line.) Once your character is up on the Web page (don't bug Glazius or the other GMs about page updates), you're free to play the character. Welcome to Odain. 2. Q: How many characters can one player have in Odain at once? A: At any one time, each player may have four active PCs in Odain. However, PCs may be rotated in and out of activity as the player sees fit and as plot points demand. Furthermore, if you really want five PCs for some reason and you can't/don't want to write one out, talk to a GM; this rule can be bent. We just don't want people to have armies. 3. Q: I'm playing, or I want to play, two characters in Odain who will interact with each other a lot. How should I work it? A: Well, this is a very good question. If done correctly, one player playing two characters off of each other can be interesting, but it takes a lot of care to pull off. Here are some things to keep in mind while considering it: - In general, except when required by a major plot event or something of the sort, two independent characters should not be played together on camera (e.g. in live roleplay). (In such cases, please tell a GM what you want to do and ask permission to do it.) Interaction should be off camera (e.g. implied and not played out, in chatfics, or whatever), and even this shouldn't be excessive. Two characters who would logically interact extensively with one another -- relatives, good friends, or generally anyone important enough to be a Connection -- probably shouldn't be played by the same player, and submitting two characters who'd do this shouldn't be done lightly. - Another case to note is secondary characters: minor characters usually played alongside a profiled PC and not entirely playable on their own. These can be small children, Pokemon, otherwise intelligent/talking animals, or anything else of the sort. Since secondary characters are usually added to a primary PC with the goal of interacting with him/her on camera, the two interacting isn't a problem; however, when your PC interacts with a secondary character, make sure they're also open to normal interaction with other PCs. If there's a scene you want to run that would involve only your PC and his/her secondary character, it's probably best to do it off-camera as described above. - In general, there's one good guideline to follow when wondering about having multiple characters interact with one another: #Odain is intended for interaction with multiple players, and it's much more fun for everyone that way. Self-interaction can make good fiction, but for really enjoyable roleplaying, branch out. 4. Q: What are the rules players must follow in Odain? A: The rules are as follows: - No rampant no-selling (dodging, blocking, side-stepping, or otherwise avoiding an attack). Be realistic; don't no-sell if it's impossible under the circumstances, and remember that even the most powerful fighter is fallible (and thus likely to make mistakes and take hits). - By the same token, don't force other players to sell (acknowledge and be hit by) your attacks. Actions shouldn't be phrased so as to force selling. For example, "Foobar shoots his laser at Baz, hitting him square in the chest" is against the rules; it doesn't let Baz choose his action. Instead, such an action should be phrased like "Foobar shoots his laser at Baz, aiming at his chest." - OOC comments should be kept to a minimum. /msg or /query other players with most OOC commentary, or keep it inside [brackets] at all times. Do not heckle/MiST the ongoing roleplay; such heckling is grounds for being kicked if you're disrupting the game. OOC discussion without brackets is acceptable if noone in the room is currently IC; however, be sure to check that there's noone IC before talking OOC without brackets, and immediately switch to brackets if anyone goes IC. - No explicit sexual, or overly explicit violent, actions in the main room. Public displays of affection between PCs are fine, but actual sex should take place in a private room; nudity is acceptable if it isn't explicitly described. If other players tell you to take something to a private room, do so. - Obey the Fourth Wall -- the separation of OOC and IC knowledge. Roleplay your character based on what they know, not what you know. Also, remember that one dimension's fiction is another's reality; if an existing universe is the source of, or a possible source of, avatars, referring to it as fictional or quoting it breaks the Fourth Wall. (Note that common sense applies here; very minor references aren't going to get the Fourth Wall police called on you.) - Respect the GMs. They have to continually consider not just an individual's actions, but the overall balance of the story; if they make a judgement, there's probably a good reason, even if you don't see it. If they tell you to reverse or void a particular action, do so. - In addition to this, respect the opinions of your fellow players. Every player in Odain is, or should be, acting for the common good and enjoyment for all; if a player or players believe that you're breaking a rule, listen to them. Just because a player isn't a GM doesn't mean they shouldn't be listened to. - OOC conflicts are to remain just that. Bringing OOC bias and behavior into the role-play is an example of bad gaming and deteriorates the experience for all of us. On the same lines, keep IC conflicts IC. There's no reason to get mad at someone just because he's playing a character that happens to be opposed to yours. - Don't roleplay a character in #Odain until the character's profile is posted on the Odain Web page. Even if it's been through peer review and is cleared, wait for it to be on the page. However, if you have a pressing reason (and a good one -- impatience doesn't count) to play a character before it's posted on the page, ask a GM for special permission to do so. 5. Q: What are some guidelines for player conduct in #Odain? A: Although they aren't as enforced as the rules (see above), there are certain standards for players to follow in #Odain. They are: - If your character is going to take an extreme action against another (attacking, spellcasting, etc.), give the player warning of the event first. This gives the player time to react to the action correctly. Give this warning as early as possible; for example, if you know the probable course of an RP will lead to your character attacking, give the player ample time to know this. - While interacting with another character, give that player time to react to one action before doing another. The other player may be lagged, typing a long action, or just typing more slowly; in any event, don't force the character to be slower because of the player's circumstances. - Use designators (specific punctuation marks surrounding a line of text) to clarify actions, languages, thought, and other issues in roleplay. Although some designators vary, the general ones are as follows: .oO(text) - Thought {text} - Foreign Languages *text* - Actions (not in /me, such as "*nods* Yes, I see.") **text** - Psychic communication/telepathic thought. [**(name) text** denotes psychic communication directed at one person.] - Read the message board and mailing list on a regular basis (if not daily, at least before each time you RP). Both the message board and mailing list will have important announcements for players and characters; ignorance of these announcements will hurt your RP. - Damage to the Hotel and its properties (furniture, etc.) is handled using a unique system. For the most part, damage will be repaired during the night; however, if a character damages something and wants it to stay that way, the damage will stay. If your character does such 'lasting' damage, post a note on the message board detailing the damage (what kind, and to what) so that other players know what they see. If you don't post the damage, it'll be repaired. - Remember at all times that roleplaying is cooperative, not competitive. The goal isn't to have the strongest character there or the one with the most plot importance; it's merely to play your character well and create enjoyable stories with others. In addition to this, respect other players' stories as well as the ones you take part in; time your actions so as to be least disruptive. - Don't forget one of the most important things about roleplaying -- it's all in the name of fun. You may be creating serious stories, but the ultimate reason to play is because you enjoy it. Try not to feel stressed by roleplaying, and take a break from it if it's becoming too stressful. 6. Q: What are the consequences for not following the #Odain rules and guidelines? A: For the most part, the consequences program is fairly subjective. If you break a rule, you'll probably receive warnings about it from GMs and/or players; if you continue to break the same rule consistently, your warnings will likely get more and more harsh. Finally, if your behavior and rule-breaking becomes disruptive to the channel and many players complain, the GMs may ban you from the channel after a vote of the players. Also, remember that players should report disruptive behavior to a GM when it occurs. Be prepared to explain what happened, and don't report behavior out of spite for the player. However, telling a GM about genuine rules violations makes sure that #Odain maintains order. Calling for a vote to channelban works as follows: any player can call for a channelban vote by posting a message on the Message Board. Said player should explain his/her reasons for calling the banvote, so all players can vote given a full range of information; however, the player who the vote is being called against can reply to defend him/herself. No further messages should be posted on the thread. Votes are to be mailed to a specific Vote Moderator, whose e-mail address should be in the banvote message. After 3-5 days, the vote will be closed, and the results will be posted on the Message Board by the vote moderator. If the vote is for banning the player, a GM will enact the banning. (A minor historical note: as of version 1.4, over two years after the founding of #Odain, we've never had to channelban a player. This is a good thing. Keep it up.) 7. Q: Hey! I keep hearing about this "Swap Day" thing that happens occasionally! What is that? A: Swap Day is a bit of roleplaying silliness that was originally run before #Odain but which #Odain has adopted wholeheartedly. A Swap Day is run occasionally, and it follows these basic ideas. The point of a Swap Day is that each player who wants to play will submit one of the characters they play in #Odain; all the characters will then be randomly assigned to players by the Swap Day organizer. Therefore, for Swap Day, everybody plays somebody else's character. Theoretically, you can play "your" character just like the "real" version, but in practice most people metaconcept the character highly. Thus results a fun, funny night of omake. To date, there have been three Swap Days, one run before #Odain and two Odain Swap Days. A few general guidelines for those who want to Swap: - Submit a character that is generally well-known, so whoever gets him/her has a good idea what to do. For the most part, this isn't a problem in #Odain. However, if you get a character that you really don't understand or don't get a part of (like *coughcough* species), talk to the character's original player to figure out what goes on. - Some Swap Days will have a public posting of who will play who, but most won't. You don't have to keep your character secret, but most people do -- it makes for a better surprise. - If you're sure, or even mostly sure, you won't be there for a Swap Day, DON'T SUBMIT A CHARACTER! If people submit characters and then don't show up, it locks out the character they received, and it may limit other players' ability to participate. We understand that stuff comes up, though; if you learn of something between the submission deadline and the Swap Day, just let the organizer know, and things will get reassigned. And if there's an emergency or something comes up suddenly -- hey, it happens. - Don't be stupid. But you know this. IV. The GMs 1. Q: What are the responsibilities and duties of the GMs in #Odain? A: The GMs in Odain are essentially 'referees.' Their main purpose is to make sure the RPing stays interesting, fair, peaceful, and fun. GMs play several special roles in the running of Odain. Part of what they do is to keep role-playing in the world of Odain interesting: they may add new locations for avatars to explore, or run special characters called NPCs (non-player characters) to interact with player avatars and make their lives more interesting. When special events happen that could affect multiple players, they have to be coordinated by the GMs. The other side of GM responsibilities is to coordinate what's happening outside the world of Odain that affects the play inside. These include the responsibilities necessary to keep #Odain pleasant and fun for all players -- resolving inter- player conflicts, enforcing rules, and kicking/channelbanning players who prove to be too much of a disruption. These duties require a GM to be open-eyed, to pay attention to the players and their complaints, and above all to be objective in their rule enforcement. 2. Q: What are the rights specific to GMs? A: The rights specific to GMs include: - The ability to create and play NPCs, characters who are possibly more powerful than PCs, for plot purposes. Note that NPCs should all have specific plot purposes; they aren't simply an excuse for the GMs to play more powerful characters. Also note that not every character a GM runs is an NPC. GMs also play PCs, and these PCs are treated just like those of non-GM players. One final note: non-GMs who have plot ideas and want to run NPCs should feel free to talk with the GMs about their ideas. If the plot is pretty cool, a player can be given NPC-playing privileges. - The ability to implement changes to the world. Players have freedom to customize some cosmetic elements, but they must first receive GM approval to create new caverns and tunnels. - The right to enforce the rules of Odain. This right may include making calls on legality of actions, kicking an individual from the room for disruption, and banning after a vote. 3. Q: How are GMs chosen? A: GMs are chosen by general election. These elections are called when needed (for example, when a GM steps down). There are no term limits on GMs, and a GM election doesn't have to rotate all the GMs out. To be a nominee for a GM slot, a player must be nominated by another player over the Message Board, and the player must accept his/her nomination. 4. Q: Where can I find a current GMs list? A: Check the top of this document. V. Communication 1. Q: What is the Odain Mailing List? A: The Odain Mailing List is an e-mail list used to approve/peer- review character profiles, announce major Odain events, and otherwise provide swift inter-player communication. The address for the Mailing List is OdainRP@yahoogroups.com ; to subscribe, send a blank message to OdainRP-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. 2. Q: What is the Odain Message Board? A: The Odain Message Board is the forum for most non-face-to-face communication, OOC and IC, in Odain. IC chatfics and communication is found here, as well as OOC announcements, world changes, and voting on issues. It is currently hosted by the general SVAM DEVS board, found at http://www.polarcom.com/~damienk/devs/ . VI. A Final Note 1. Q: Aaaagh! I want to do this really neat thing in #Odain, or I've got this burning question eating me up, and it's not covered here!! What should I do?! A: Well, you could always ask a GM about your nifty suggestion and/or burning question. The GMs like to hear your cool ideas for plots, fics, or anything else that you may be pondering about the game. If you want to get a plot arc going, please ask -- we can help the process along. There are as many possibilities as players have ideas for. However, there should be one final disclaimer on this. Just because it's not mentioned as being specifically wrong in the FAQ doesn't mean that it's automatically appropriate. Please ask GMs about things that aren't specifically brought up in the FAQ; even if it's not problematic, we like to know, and if it *is* problematic, we can help you fix it. That's all. Now get out there and have fun. VII. A Brief #Odain Glossary Avatar: The character you play. Avatars are further divided into PCs and NPCs (see NPC and PC). Battery Syndrome: The term for a character who is wildly unbalanced enough to be in some respects unplayable and in some respects a godboy. Broken: An element of a character or plot that is unbalanced or unworkable in play. BtS: An acronym for "Behind the Scenes," used to refer to an excellent Odain story written by Steve "Echo Albarn" Sulzer. This story is the bedrock of the strange inside joke known as the Fanboyverse (see below). The story is available online at http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/s/j/sjs288/MITD/OdainBtS%20-%20Director's%20Cut.txt Canon: A character or world from a different media (books, radio, television, etc.) that provides a source for characters. Chatfic: A work of fiction, usually brief, used to explain PC actions not directly roleplayed out; these are used to build off of the live RPing and to further plots and characters, and they are considered canon. Chatfics are posted on the Message Board. Fanboyverse, The: A bizarre #Odain inside joke/omake: a version of modern Earth different from ours in that an Odain TV show, "Heart of the Mountain," is a massive hit and a media sensation. The Fanboyverse chronicles the show's actors, writers, techies, merchandising, rabid fanboys/girls, fanfic, H-doujinshi, and so on and so forth. The center of this is the story "Odain: Behind the Scenes" (see above), but other ideas and silliness have added onto it. Perhaps the two defining personalities of the Fanboyverse are Philip, the archetypal "HotM" fanboy (as written and sometimes played by Kou Aidou), and Stu, the world-weary creator of the show (as written and/or played by Echo Albarn). Foobar: The hypothetical 'bad player.' Foobaz/Bazfoo: Players used to describe hypothetical situations. Forced Selling: Forcing a player to recognize your character's actions, and not giving them an opportunity to react. (See Selling and No-Selling.) GM (Game Master): Players who have the power to create and enforce plots based on the world. See the section on GMs in the FAQ for more information. IC (In Character): Anything that you do functioning as the character that you play. Idling: Being in character but not performing any actions. Meme: Not exclusively a roleplaying word but a term frequently used in Odain, a meme is a small nugget of information (like a phrase or an inside joke) that essentially spreads and replicates itself. It's considered the informational equivalent of a gene. #Nexus-R: A former RPG run on the SVAM server run by DamienK and Alicia from which many Odain players and plotlines originated. No-selling: Not reacting to or otherwise avoiding another character's actions (i.e. someone fires a gun at your back at close range and you just go on drinking). NPC (Non-Player Character): Characters designed and played by GMs specifically used for furthering existing plots or creating new ones. Omake: A silly/humorous side RP, conducted when nothing serious is going on in the room. (The name comes from the Japanese/Fanboy word for 'bonus' or 'extra'.) Due to the 'anything goes' nature of omakes and the frequent OOC behavior, omakes are not canon. OOC (Out of Character): Actions and speech taken by the player rather than as the character they play. OOC discussion is usually represented by brackets when a game is in session. Overselling: Reacting too extremely to a character's action (i.e. someone punches you in the nose and your head explodes). PASTRAMI TACO: Only tangentially an #Odain thing, PASTRAMI TACO is a meme that for some reason has taken root in the room. Suffice to say that PASTRAMI TACO (it's always in all caps; "Pastrami Taco" just wouldn't be the same) shows up in the topic a lot and is capable of miraculous all-caps feats: PASTRAMI TACO IS THE SEX GODDESS OF THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE and so on. PC (Player Character): Characters designed and played by players and/or GMs independent of existing in game plots. Powergamer/Munchkin/Godboy: Anyone who creates, or the act of creating, a character who is altogether too powerful; usually given an overemphasis on powers and skills at the expense of personality. Retcon: Taking back an action and all results of that action. Short for "retroactive continuity." Selling: Reacting to another character's actions (i.e. getting hit when a player fires a gun at you and reacting as such). Swap Day: An occasional omake event organized in #Odain. The basics of Swap Day can be found under Section III.7 above. Tabletop: The term for any pencil-and-paper or non-computer RPGs. (AD&D, the White Wolf World of Darkness games, GURPS, Rifts, and so on.) Trapper Syndrome: An extension referring to any character with too many problems, mental or physical, to function effectively in roleplay. The opposite of godboying. TV Food Time: Jumping from one time to another for purposes of speeding up game-play. WAFF: An acronym for Warm and Fuzzy Feeling. It represents romantic or otherwise heartwarming actions in roleplay.