Category:Rules
From DirtyWiki
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After Acceptance
- Make your character their own personal LiveJournal. There are no rules regarding the name.
- With that journal, join dirty_life and dirty_lives. Additionally, you may join dirty_lives with your personal LJ so that you are always on top of updates.
- Have your character friend everyone using the code found here.
- Make an account at the wiki! Use whatever name you want to be called, just for the sake of clarity (if we have double names, uh, well, we'll get to that when we come to it). Once that's done, you can make your character a page by typing your character's name in the wiki URL. (So for example, you would type in http://www.dirtywiki.org/index.php?title=Character_Name_Here). At the page, hit the 'edit' tab at the top and format the content however you'd like (permission is granted to copy the format used on Isabella Fitzwilliam's page, which is what many people are using now). Help in formatting can be found here. Ask Rue or Scout if you need additional help.
- Make an introduction post to the OOC community if you wish. This is recommended, but not required.
- Start playing!
General
See also: FAQ
Most experienced LJ-based roleplayers, or roleplayers in general, will be familiar with most of these rules. However, we have decided to include them because the game does not cater solely to those with LJ RPG experience. In addition, there are several rules that are game-specific.
Gameplay
See Gameplay.
If you want it in a nutshell, the basic premise of DL is to keep the entire game as IC as possible. That is, the LJs are only used for in-character journal entries and comments, the community is only for in-character, third-person roleplays, paper journal entries, e-mails, phonecalls, etc. (and with little OOC commentary and no use of "OOC" even if you have to make a note).
For Players
1. If one player is having a problem with another, they reserve the right to contact the mods. If a player is causing trouble, either by purposefully disobeying the rules, baiting characters or players, or simply not understanding how the RPG works, the mod has the right to warn or remove them.
2. ASK BEFORE DOING ANYTHING THAT INVOLVES ANOTHER CHARACTER.
3. Do not rip off other games/TV shows/books/films, etc. This is an original game for a reason. Also, you must give credit where credit is due. Ripping off or taking icons from other places could get everyone in trouble.
4. Treat everyone with the respect you would want in return. Treat everyone's characters equally. Don't take IC conflict personally unless it really is stepping on something you've established or you have additional concerns. A strong personality might seem overwhelming, but remember that it's roleplay.
5. Your first DL character can only be human, angel, demon, vampire, therian, or time-traveler. After getting settled, you are allowed to branch out. While the depth of this world does confirm the existence of most supernatural creatures documented through the ages, not every being could possibly have an LJ or operate in a normal life. We'll allow RPG journals for just about any sort of supernatural creature currently established (for the sake of writing them in threads), but the only ones that should use their LJs as LJs are angels, demons, vampires, therianthropes and time-travelers. No exceptions. Your mermaid isn't going to even be interested. Or have a written language.
6. We would prefer that your PB, should you choose to have one, be a real person, stock photography, or stock (or personal) illustration, and not to use animated or cartoon characters such as characters from Disney, anime or manga, or Cartoon Network. See PBs for more information.
Fantasy
DL has a fantasy world all its own. We have generated an entire method of explaining the existence of these creatures, from the magic itself, to the tiniest little creatures that were borne from it. This is still evolving but is generally complete and our rules are all based within this system of magic. We don't accept 'it is this way just because it is'. Everything must fit.
Each set of rules was created by a different player within the game or by many people working on them together or supplying input. However, they are bound under this game only and cannot be moved to another, even if you leave.
There is a Fantasy FAQ for brief rundowns, but it's best to ask the respective creators, or Scout.
General Rules and Reminders When Dealing with Fantasy
1. In a word, the fantasy in DL is secret.
2. This isn't Harry Potter. There is no organization that unifies the magical against the non-magical. There are no schools to learn your skills. No underground society. The supernatural in this world is scattered and uncontrolled, operating as though human, as though natural. This does not mean that the two worlds are symbiotic, however. They do not knowingly work together.
3. There is no god or god-like figure, though this is OOC knowledge, not IC knowledge. This doesn't mean you can't play a religious character. See below for why. This game in no way represents the beliefs of its players. We simply want to keep the balance of power completely neutral.
4. Utilize reality and don't violate common knowledge*. The intent in creating this world is to fit it into the current one, the real world as we know it, without making (m)any adjustments. Religious people have no reason to doubt their religions; most people understand mermaids couldn't possibly exist, etc. Doesn't mean any of it is right in this universe, but there's no way for most people, including supernatural people, to know otherwise.
*Violating common knowledge would be, say, having a mermaid flop onto a pier in Southampton in front of a bunch of tourists and then land herself in an aquarium. Exposing one world to the other in a permanent and universal way is what we want to avoid. Exceptions to these rules are made to varying degrees, but must be handled thoughtfully.
5. Humans should never know everything or even much of anything about the supernatural world. There are no books that detail the correct history, and what has been written is usually lost or in the possession of the person who wrote it.
6. Likewise, supernatural creatures will not know everything or even much of anything outside of their own species. No one is born with a handbook or guide, only ignorance. Remember this. It is ten times more logical for an angel to be clueless about himself than to know everything about himself. Abilities are learned and must be understood to be controlled. Situations vary. If someone isn't raised a certain way, they won't have a certain kind of knowledge.
There are always exceptions to rules 5 & 6, but these are few and far between and should only be commanded by players with a good grasp of the supernatural world.
7. HUMANS ARE NOT NATURALLY MAGICAL AND CANNOT BE VERY POWERFUL. We would prefer it if humans were human. See Magic for more information.
8. Supernatural beings are rare. They have remained 'unnoticed' for thousands of years. Don't go blabbing about what you are and what you know. We have a disproportionate amount of fantastic creatures in the game (you'll notice most of them are related), but in reality, there are very few.
9. Accept the rules or find a different species. And don't ignore the traits already established because you don't like them.
Creating A New Species
Taking these basic rules into consideration, here are rules specifically designed for those creating a new type of species. You must be a current member of the game and have a good understanding of the supernatural world to make a new species.
1. Read Magic. This will help show you how the world is formed. You will require Scout to help mold your species to the form so that it absolutely fits, and because wiki pages aren't always as up to date as the concept is.
2. In order for your species to actually be a playable character in terms of using a journal and operating in a normal life, their default or more common form must look human and must be fully functional in a human environment. If you only have one of these qualities present, your character will be a secondary species (ie, one that could only be written in threads). The test for this is simple (remember, all questions are theoretical and general):
- A. Can your species use a complex written and spoken language?
- B. Would humans mistake your species for human? Would it be possible for your species to not be aware they were different (such as pre-puberty or pre-manifestation)?
- C. Can they hide their non-human appearance (if they have one)?
- D. Could they carry on a relationship with a human or have children by or with a human?
- E. Biologically and emotionally, could they live as a human for their entire life?
Any no answers should provide you with a guide to fix your species so that it can be playable.
3. Be original in your concepts but do not go over the top. We often find a creature from mythology and alter it so that it fits this universe, but not every mythological creature could exist in the world as we have it, so you may be told to change your concept.
4. There are absolutely no 'half-breed' creatures of any sort. Do not ask.
5. Likewise, there are a few other things that we'll say no to automatically: succubi or seductive creatures (this also includes sirens or anything else with a seductive quality that is physically impossible to resist); witches or warlocks or wizards (magic doesn't work that way; it's organic, not manifested using spells); anything that shapeshifts (we have animal to human shapeshifting already); all-powerful/all-knowing/extremely psychic/god-like creatures (angels and demons might appear as god-like, but their control is as strong as we'll allow, and even they have limitations. Essentially, anything that could tell you all you need to know or completely control someone's actions isn't going to mesh in an RPG); zombies (these wouldn't be natural). There will be characters made that certainly skirt these rules, yes, but it's better to be prepared for what we aren't looking for when you ask.
6. If what you are doing requires talking to the creators of other rule sets, you will be required to contact those members, too.
