Deathtrap Dungeon: Closing Remarks

[WhiteFox]

The RP is currently open. Submit characters to the GM via PM, and post them here after they have been passed.

Note to current players: A few changes have been made the Character sheet, but none that require revisions to the current characters. If you wish to revise your sheet you may do so, but this isn't necessary. Have the sheet reviewed by the GM, then post the new version here, and the link in the character roster will be updated. Please do not edit your original sheet in the original OOC!

Current IC
Previous IC
Previous OOC

Current Character Roster
(Updated as of IC Post #7)

Player:	Character:	Race:	Species:	Career:	Waiting On:
techmaster-glitch	Xephelon	Mythos	Green Imbuer	Enchanter/Artificer	Player
danman	Glup	Chuul	Nephropidae	Cerebral Vendor	Player
Liatai	Kittrick	Gryphon B	Jaybird	Postmaster	Player
Drayco84	Zyrais	Angel	Dragon	Security/Surveilance	Player
Whitefox	Nathalzar	Undead	Giraffe/Ex-Demon	Librarian/Archivist
Meany	Barbarus Hagoo	Were	Feline	Security	Player
Basilisk	Baseel Wolkshammer	Demon	German Shepherd	Field Marshall	Player
Tipod	Mnogo	Elemental	Mudman	Security/Labor	Player
Inumo	Jio	Moloi	Statue?	Theoretical Arcane Research	Player
Kafziel	Winston	Chimera	Mustilid	Alchemist/Herbalist	Player

Waiting On: This columb is to keep track of who needs who to post.
-Player: The GM is waiting for the Player of this character to post.
-GM: The player of this character has posted, and is waiting for the GM to post.
-Other Player: The player of this  character is waiting for an OOC response from another player.
-Other Character: The player of this character is waiting for an IC response from another player character.


-All OOC comments in the main RP thread should be color coded in Teal for clarity.
-The GM will make official statements in Orange.
-It is not mandatory, but if a character casts a spell by speaking it's name aloud, the name of the spell should be set in coloured text. This is to differentiate it from a character simply saying the name of the spell aloud, such that the GM knows for certain the character is actually casting a spell.
Example:
   "So, how do you plan on getting out of this one?" Said the foolhardy adventurer.
   "Simple," Said Nethalzar, "DeathTouch."
    As compared to:
   "So, how do you plan on getting out of this one?" Said Nethalzars good friend.
   "Simple," said Nethalzar, "DeathTouch."


Patch Notes: DtD ver.1.0.9
-Added CR2(Tribal)
-Removed CR5(Unique)
-Powers have been renamed Traits, and slightly redefined.
-Attributes have been slightly redefined.
-Halfbreed characters are now acceptable, with limitations.
-Appendix has been added, explaining certain elements of character creation.
-Boss monster Nethalzar has been converted to an NPC, and is now a 40 man raid. Several epic items have been added to his drop list. However, his spotlight has been removed since the GM felt this should be a Player only feature.
-Player Character Winston has been added to the Character roster.
-Player Character Jio has been added to the Character roster.
-Implimented "Waiting On" Feature to the Character Roster

Player Character Responsibilities
Wanted: Trusted Lieutennants for Subterranian Establishment

    Thank you for showing an interest in the employment oppourtunities our exciting project has to offer! Here's what we're looking for:

   First and foremost, you are the dungeon's most powerful inhabitants. You are the better then the best of the meanest creatures in existance. You are a cut above the rest of your species, and may have aptitudes above and byond an average example of them. You aren't the king of the hill... you ARE the hill.
   Of course, this means that you are the movers and shakers of the dungeon. When something needs to get done, you're the ones that make sure it gets done, and done right.
   
   Thirdly, each character acts as a sponsor for their race. As the most prominent member of your race in the dungeon, you are your races representative among the ruling elite. If your race has needs, they'll bring them to you, and if you need something from them... well, you better find some way of getting it from them, or you wont look like you're in charge of anything, now will you?

   Characters have professional responsibilities. There are plenty of little people to do grunt work... your job is to oversee them. Your career isn't just the job you do, it's something you have complete juristiction over in the dungeon, and you run the whole department. You could have anywhere from a couple of minions to a couple hundred. The Dungeon has needs, and you're in charge of making sure that one of them is being met.
   Whatever Career you choose will be the industry or service handled by your race in the dungeon.

   It is important to note that the Dungeon will only allow one member of each species to sit on the Local Creature Council. You may have rivals or competitors, but only one person can be on top.
    Players may have half races as long as they lean towards one half of their parentage, and may act as representatives for the race that they favor. Halfbreeds may not possess the full extent of powers of both lineages.
    While this RP is not limited to DMFA races alone, the GM encourages character races that mesh well with that setting.

   On one final note, the GM politely requests that players consider creating original character concepts, rather than just using their standard forum avatar... unless your usual forum avatar would genuinely want to work in a dungeon, and is at the same power level as the other characters.

Employee Application Form
Standard Character Sheet

Name:  The characters name.
Player: The forum users name.
Race: The type of creature or monster the character is. (Ex.: Miss Mab's race is "Fae")
Species: The type of animal you are, if applicable (Ex.: Daniel T'Fiona's species is "Feline")
Creature Rating: A balance between your races power level as individuals, and it's solidarity as a culture (see below)

Description: A paragraph about the character's appearance and personality.

Responsabilities: A line or two about the characters chosen career in the Dungeon. For new characters, either leave this blank or make a note of the job they WANT to have.

Backstory: A few short paragraphs about the character's past and history, how they got where they are now, and their plans for the future.

Attributes: A description of the characters general qualities. Their strenght, speed, intellect, inherent aptitude with various magics, overall durability, and so on.

Traits: Specific capabilities and supernatural powers of your character. Firebreath, the ability to talk to spirits, X-ray vision.

Flaws: Major limitations or weaknesses of your character. The GM does not tolerate trivial or inconsequential flaws, or characters being Cursed with Awesome.

Skills: A list of fields your character has training, education, or experience in.

Creature Rating
   This is a measure of how significant the members of your species are as individuals. Creatures with a high CR are individually powerful, and feared by weaker races. However, they also have much less social solidarity; there are much fewer of them around, and they are less likely to cooperate with each other. This makes them harder to replace, and much harder to control.
   The benefits of high CR balance evenly against the drawbacks, so a high or low CR is neither good nor bad.
   In all cases, CR applies to NPCs only; Player Characters are exceptional members of their race, and equal to other PCs in power.
   If your race is CR3 or above, your minions may have their own minions. These subraces are always CR1, even if your race is higher then CR3.

   There are five levels of CR, a few of which have subtypes. You may select any of the following eight choices to describe your character's race (or suggest your own, if none seem to fit).

CR 1: Hordelings
   These races are normally insignificant as individuals, and must gather in large groups to get anything done at all. Personal accomplishments are often unimportant to such races, while utter loyalty and mindless dedication are seen as virtues. Isolated from their tribe, they cannot survive. Their sheer numbers, along with their lack of safety concerns, allows them to perform great things on occasion. Examples include Goblins, Kobolds, and Pygmy Shrews.

CR 1: Hive Drones
   Hive Drones are functionally similar to hordelings, but their weakness is mentally hardwired; they are slave drones who depend on their master for instructions. They can be extremely powerful and intelligent, but lack the ability to make their own decisions. If seperated from their master, they would be unable to even feed or protect themselves. Leadership is strictly genetic. Examples include undead or robot minions, and certain breeds of Insectis.

CR 2: Minions
   These races are only somewhat below average as individuals; either physically, mentally, or socially. They can survive just fine alone, but must work in groups to accomplish anything great, or to gain any advantage over other more powerful races. They often serve as underlings to superior races to makeup for their own limitations. Leadership often falls to whoever is most powerful, and they often have no problem with slavery. Some races even prefer to serve as slaves, rather than deal with the chore of making their own decisions. Examples include Orcs, Lizardmen, and Warp-Aci

CR 2: Packs
   These races operate best in groups. They generally need an alpha to lead them, and debates over leadership can occur. Their performance suffers if they lose members of their group, and replacing them is is not a straightforward process: it takes time for the the newcomers to settle in.

CR 3: Individuals
   These races are the most likely to form large civilizations and rich cultures. Members of this race expect to be treated fairly (by each other), and dislike those who abuse their privelages. They celebrate and revere personal achievement, without tolerating abuse from those of greater wealth or status. Good cultures may support liberty and responsability, while Evil cultures may become hyper-capitalistic and decadent. Examples include beings, gryphons, sentient undead, and most Cubi raised at Saia.

CR 4: Rivals
   These races are powerful as individuals, but tend to be too agressive and competetive to form a lasting civilization. They place greater value on personal rank and status, and regularly challenge each other for positions of power. They respect competence and ability, and may believe that less powerful creatures are mere servants, or even livestock. They will work together for personal gain (or out of desperation), but are quick to usurp their leader at the first sign of weakness. Examples include Demons (who respect only power), and Angels (who are extremely competetive). Many Cubi not raised at Saia fall into this category as well.

CR 5: Solitary
   Solitary creatures may interact socially, but do not cooperate to accomplish anything. Asking for help might seem like a weakness to them, or there may be too few of them to form a functional civilization of their own... or it may genuinely not occur to them to do so. An example is the Dragon race.

CR 5: Hostile
   Hostile races are a direct threat to others of their kind. They either see asking for help as an unforgivable weakness, or they stand to gain power by destroying others of their kind. You cannot rely on them for help... though you might defeat them to increase your power. An example is the Vampire race (now extinct)

Appendix

Attributes vs. Traits:
    The rule of thumb is that if you can say you "are" something, it's an attribute. If you are perceptive, that's an Attribute. If you are dark vision, that's just silly. If you have dark vision, though, it's a trait.
   Talent with a field of magic falls under Attributes if it improves the characters ability to cast spells. If they can perform feats at will, it's a Trait. EG: Fire Magic Aptitude vs. Fire Manipulation Powers.

Skills in Regards to Traits and Attributes:
   A skill represents any field of training, study, or experience.
   It should be noted that skills can be applied or theoretical. This is particularly relevant for magic users.
   Attributes make certain skills easier to learn or apply, while skills allow certain traits to be put to better use. While no attribute or trait must be trained for it to be an advantage to the character, just about anything can be honed through training.

"Clarity"
    While an Attribute, Trait, or Skill should be clearly defined, it does not have to be a comprehensive list of specifics. For example, characters may have skill in a school of magic, and the range of that school should be clearly established, but they are not required to make a defined list of exact spells they know.

[Inumo]

Name: Jio
Player: Inumo
Race: Moloi (Based on Dr. Who's Weeping Angels; see racial description near bottom)
Species: Feline, Red Blindfold (Again, see racial description near bottom)
Creature Rating: 3

Description: Nobody knows exactly what Jio looks like, as he hasn't shared his true-shape with anyone. When he's stone, he looks like a feline made out of granite. A red strip of cloth is wrapped over his eyes, which cannot be removed without him wanting it removed. He is of medium height, and weighs 165 pounds, whether stone or flesh. When he is physically active, most people hear him as professional, with a cheerful greeting for whoever he passes by.

Responsibilities: Theoretical Research

Backstory: After obtaining his red blindfold, Jio was offered his choice of schools to attend with a full scholarship in the field of his choice. His decision was the Royal Institute of Magic and Technology at Najika, majoring in Magical Theory with a minor in Physics. There, he learned a range of magical power words, with which he could create a vast range of new spells from.

After completing his education over the course of twenty-five years, he was appointed as the Apprentice to the Institute's Head of Magical Research. As Apprentice, he helped to develop a variety of spells during the Expansion, a one hundred-year period during the reign of King Koreh III during which the Moloi finally began their first explorations of the area surrounding the Valley of Stone. After the Expansion, he continued to work on projects focusing on communications and entertainment.

Now, at two-hundred-and-fifty-one, he has growing ambitions to become the Head of Research of a community somewhere, following the progress of the Expansion communities closely. One night, after discovering the lack of interest in research outside of the Valley, he decided to go out on a walk in order to calm his nerves. Exploring the mountains outside of his home, he was Turned to stone by a group of "creatures without blindfolds," who bound him up and hauled him away through some kind of barrier, changing his surroundings suddenly. From there, he was carried into a room, where he was placed and left.

Attributes: Natural Magic Affinity, Supernatural Speed

Powers: 50% Magical Absorption, Stone-shape, Blindsight

Flaws: Jio's stone-shape trait means that, while it is hard for him to die, he can't do anything beyond think when he is seen, no matter what he's in the middle of doing.

Skills: Magical Theory, Physical Sciences, Physics

Racial Descrption: The Moloi developed a magical trait which causes them to turn to stone whenever a part of them is being viewed by a living source. This stone-shape isn't the same as their true-shape. However, this doesn't stop their mental activity, only their physical. Moloi are born blind, and stay as such until they are fifteen. At thirteen, they undergo a rite of passage, where they must pass through an obstacle course and, at the obstacle they fall at, they earn a blindfold of a specific color. Green is the lowest on the ranking, lying beneath the first obstacle, a series of platforms. If a Moloi passes that, they can either choose to take a teal bandana, or continue onto the next obstacle, a set of balance beams and trapezes over a pit with the blue bandana. After that, there is the purple bandana, and the option to continue on to the final obstacle. The last obstacle's pit is filled with illusionary spikes, though no Moloi coming of age knows that they are an illusion. To cross the pit, a Moloi must jump from pillars only wide enough to place a foot on, followed by a leap of faith onto a platform with the white bandana. Should they fall, they land on the ground and are given a red bandana. The bandanas are used to cover the adolescent's eyes so that they don't accidentally freeze anyone when their eyes open. The bandanas are enchanted so that they cannot be removed unwillingly. A Moloi's blind lifestyle has also granted them the ability to "see," such that they can act almost as if they could see the physical world around them, but can't tell the actual shape or appearance of a creature unless they both (the Moloi and the creature) wait around for a few seconds.
Beyond that, the Moloi are very much magical creatures in nature. In addition to their inborn magical abilities, they also absorb half of all magical energy that is directed them and use it as a supplement to food. They do require some nutrition, however.

[WhiteFox]

   First, let me say that the only reason I'm writing this is because a couple of people asked me about it, and there is now quick way for me to explain this.

   Second, none of what follows is personal in any way. I took particular care to keep the focus on my problems with forum RPing itself. If I had a problem with individual people, and I do, many of them, I woudn't be discussing them here, and I wouldn't completely drop out of RPing for that reason alone.

   When I first took an interest in forum RPs, I quickly realized that I could not run a forum game the same way I ran a tabletop game. This was when I was introduced to the concept of an RP as "collaborative storytelling."
   I should have quit right then and there.
   Earlier on, I was frustrated that people were being "too silly," or that there was too much OOC discussion.
   Now I realize that this was the result of a much more fundamental flaw: everyone has their own artistic influences, and their own writing style. Half the players were adding comedic relief, half the players were writing dark comedy, and half the players were just plain dark. Half of the players roleplaying influences were from DnD, half of them were from anime, and another half was from some other place entirely.
   How the hell is anyone supposed to write a story if every character is inspired by a different genre?
   So, okay, I wanted people to straighten up a little. Get everyone on the same page, so to speak.
   This was the very apex of fallacy on my part: Everyone. Has. Their own. Style. Some people like to write comedy. All that OOC discussion was worldbuilding. That's just how some people write.
    Even if everyone were writing for the same genre, there would still be stylistic differences that would conflict with each other. The only way for me to write a story exactly the way I wanted it to be would be for everyone to write just like I do. Which is impossible, since EHToS, and stupid, becuase then I could just write the story by myself.
   That last point is very significant, but just pretend I didn't say it for now.
   The first alternative, of course, would be for the GM to simply not care about anything the PCs did whatsoever, and railroad them through the plot from start to finish. In that case, the GM might as well just write the story by himself.
   Hey, there it is again.
   So, to make a truly collaborative story, everyone gets to write in their own way. That means that there's no viable way to have an overarching theme or mood, or internal consistancy for things like mythology and culture, or character driven story lines. That's okay; DnD players and otaku don't usually care about that sort of thing anyway.
   Oh, and, it's nearly impossible to write dialog. Most scenes feel like the characters are taking turns speaking at a podium. The next best option is for players/the GM to have an in-character IRC chat, but in that case one one person actually gets to edit and post the conversation. Nobody really does that anyway. Some players use a puppet NPC to converse with, but that just leads to more internal inconsistency, because the NPCs behave nothing like what the GM envisioned.
   Oh, and, for that matter, it's nearly impossible to structure a story into scenes, because the GM can never just "cut to black." The players just sort of keep going. Even in tabletop, I could say "Do you guys want to camp for the night?" or "You pass the day in town."
   Oh, and, it's really awkward when one character has to talk to multiple others all at once. (SMCI: Simultaneous Multiple Character Interaction).
   Oh, and, lets not forget how much time shifts around when characters respond to things that happened more then one post ago. That totally wrecks the immersion for me.
   Oh, and, it takes forever for anything to get anywhere. Mostly because the GM is waiting for players to go do something, and the players are wondering how to go about doing what they should go do.
   Of course, all of these things are pretty well accepted as standard conventions in forum RPing.
   I'm not saying that stories written through collabroation are bad. I'm just saying that forum RPs are shallow, plot driven, and semi-coherent.
   On a good day.
   The spelling and grammar is alright. Most of the time.
   If Forum RPs are "collaborative storywriting," it makes some pretty bad story writing.

   Well, hold on now. Time out. There has to be some way to make the best of this.
   People with similar themes and writing styles could group up into separate parties. The more divided up the characters are, in fact, the less the players writing style would conflict with each other!
   If every character had their own individual storyline, written between the GM and the player, there wouldn't be any time shifts, or MSCI.
   If everything was written by just a single player, it'd be possible to write dialog between any number of characters, the setting would maintain internal consistency, and the plot could be given some solid structure.

   So, here's my proposal for collaborative story writing:
-Write a story on your own
-Discuss it some readers
-Read someone elses story
-Discuss it with the writer
-Reflect on said discussions
-Repeat

If anyone is looking for me, tell them I'll be in the Tower of Art.
-exeunt WhiteFox.