* T H E * R U L E S *

LAST UPDATE:

04/06/04

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

1. Channel History
  [a] Edition Played

  [b] Terminology Primer

2. Genres Played Here

3. Setting IC & OOC

  [a] Where We Play IC
  [b] Where We Play OOC

  [c] Rules Standardization
  [d] Closed Game Policy

  [e] Cast of Major Characters 

4. Important URL's to Know

CHARACTERS

Rules for each Genre

1. Creating Characters
  [a] Format for Character Sheets
  [b] Spending Dots/Points
  [c] Power Level for Existing Characters
  [d] Power Level for New Characters 

  [e] Backgrounds Guidelines
  [f] Forbidden Character Classes/Types
  [g] Restricted Character Classes (by Genre)

2. Submission Guidelines

  [a] Individual Genre Guidelines (Alphabetical by Genre)
  [b] Approval Process

  [c] Sheet Distribution

  [d] Character Sheet Spot Checks

  [e] Number of Characters Allowed Per Player

3. Playing Guidelines

  [a] Participation Expectations

  [b] Finding RP Opportunities

  [c] ST "Hand-Holding"

  [d] RPing in Unofficial/"Side" Channels

  [e] Dice/Dicebots (Scripts)

  [f] Combat & Character Deaths

  [g] Storytelling by Players

  [h] Character Description Popups/IC Dress Code

4. Experience Points

  [a] Outside Experience Points

  [b] Experience Points Maximum

  [c] Awarding Experience

5. Inactivity/Hiatus Guidelines

  [a] 2 Week/1 Month Rule

  [b] If You Leave The Game

  [c] Returning After Having Quit

OOC PLAYER CODE OF CONDUCT

1. Player Age Requirements

2. Metagaming/Privacy of Character Information

3. IRC Kick/Bannable Offenses

4. Expectations of Behavior In Channel

5. Channel Voicing Policy

6. Scope of Ops Authority

ADDENDUM #1: TIME OF JUDGMENT
.

PLEASE READ THESE RULES IN THEIR ENTIRETY BEFORE PLAYING.

[Everyone in our channels, players, visitors and guests alike, are subject to the rules posted here. This is your only notice of such. 

By submitting & playing a character in this game, you represent yourself as 18 years of age or older, and also agree that you are subject to the rules on this page.]

Send all queries/comments to: 11thHourLounge@DigitalGothic.net

[a] EDITION OF WHITE WOLF RULES IN USE:

This is a 3rd Edition (or most currently published Edition), Non-Freeform, Non-Lex Rules, Contiguous IRC Game. "Washington, D.C. By Night", Played on DalNet 1997-2002, now on SorceryNet starting 2003.

 

[b] Terminology Primer (for Brand New Players):

- IC = In Character (Stuff your Char does or says).

- OOC = Out Of Char (Stuff you [the player] does or says).

- PC = Player Chars (Normal Characters).

- NPC = Non-Player Chars (see below for expanded definition)

(The Term "Non-Player Character" is traditionally for more powerful chars introduced by an ST as a storytelling tool or plot device. Usually, either:

[A] An ST-invented character written specifically for a storyline, or

[B] A background character, out of WW Canon history, being brought in by an ST and used as a plot device (example, a Justicar).

We use the term in this game to additionally mean the following:

[C] A long-term PC moved in status to NPC due to the ST's decision that it has grown too high in power to be played without ST control of their actions.

 

Occasionally, known/trusted/proven, responsible long-time players in our game have been allowed to keep and run their NPC's rather than have them confiscated, under ST/Ops guidance. NPC's in player's hands are just like ST's NPC's. They may be powerful (in this case earned through legal RP) but are not permitted to run roughshod over weaker, newer characters simply because they can. However, foolish PC RP choices may have consequences (such as a Kindred walking into a Caern, or a mortal into a Sabbat shovel party.) In such cases, you're on your own; the ST's will not protect your char.

This is a complete World of Darkness crossover game. We support the following:

CtD Changeling The Dreaming (Fae)

DtF Demon The Fallen

HtR Hunter The Reckoning

KotE Kindred Of The East (Kuei Jin)

MtA Mage The Ascension

MtR Mummy The Resurrection

VtM Vampire The Masquerade

WtA Werewolf The Apocalypse

WtO Wraith The Oblivion

Other subgenres (Gypsies, Mortals, Sorcerer, etc.)

 

Time [Calendar]: Present Day.

Time of Day IC: Always at ST's discretion (not real-time). If Kindred characters are in the scene it is automatically nighttime unless the ST declares otherwise.

WHEN DO WE PLAY (OOC)?: This Chronicle has players participating from at least 6 different time zones from at least 4 different continents (North America, South America, Europe and Australia). We tend to run loosely on EST time zone but there is a possibility of RP 24/7, depending on who is around.

Locations: All IC locales are loosely based on actual places in Washington DC & surrounding Metro area when possible. Please refer to the Maps & Tours page for details. Any deviations to the real locations are the right of your ST and should not be argued with based on that aspect alone.

Factions In Control IC: White Wolf canon is followed, when possible (as far as which Cities are controlled by which factions). Any deviations were part of Dalnet/IRC RP. (Yes, DC being Camarilla at a time when WW had it as Sabbat, falls under deviations occurring in RP. Please don’t harass the ST’s and insist it is not a Cammie City)

 

UNDER CONSTRUCTION: A PRIMER OF DC AT A GLANCE

The "Alliance" Channels [Channels we recognize in this game, and abide by these rules]:

 

#11th_Black_Iron [PUBLIC: mid-priced Restaurant run by Bryan McGuire]

#11th_Hour_Lounge [PUBLIC. Currently "At Your Service" & "Kulterny"]

#11thHourOOC [PUBLIC. Player/ST Chat & Dice for all Alliance Channels]

#11thHourGeorgetown [PUBLIC. University-affiliated chars]

#BaltimoreByNight [PUBLIC. Sabbat channel in Baltimore, MD]

#Bound [PUBLIC but only open at ST Discretion. Fetish Club in DC.]

#CapitalHill [PUBLIC. new "Members Only" multilevel restaurant, pub & salon]

#Cathedral [Not Public Channel: need-to-know basis as per slander]

#DCStreets [PUBLIC. Generic catch-all Channel for in-town RP]

#DerryOnLangley [Not Public Channel: need-to-know basis as per Ice]

#Frightwig_Manor [Not Public Channel: need-to-know basis as per Ice or slander]

#Rabble [Semi-Public: Currently Not yet. See Ice or Jon for more info.]

#RockCreekPark [PUBLIC. Huge wooded area from North to Southwestern DC]

#The_Falling_Star [Not Public Channel: need-to-know basis as per slander]

#The_Fate [Not Public Channel: need-to-know basis as per slander]

#The_Hush [PUBLIC. Small Piano Bar & Jazz Nightclub in Georgetown]

#The_Phantasm [PUBLIC. Large Fae-run Public Lindy/Swing/Jazz Nightclub]

#The_White_Lotus [Not Public Channel: need-to-know basis as per Dace or slander]

#Web_of_Night / #WebOutside [PUBLIC. Goth/Industrial Public Music Club]

#WolfHaven [Not Public. Shifter Players only. Note, this is NOT a Caern!]

 

-- And any other channels created by your ST 

(Please also refer to CHARACTERS Section 3-d: "RP'ing in Side channels")

 

(NOTE: Obviously, barging into any channels not listed as PUBLIC, and/or not listed here AT ALL, makes your PC fair game for whatever the Players or ST who set the channel up impart onto you. If you end up over your head and your character is harmed, too bad, as it would be in real life if you barged into a strange place uninvited. Show good NEtiquette and ask the players before coming in. Your PC may live longer.]

 

Prior to our move to Sorcerynet in December 2002, the 11th Hour was an "Open Game," meaning that we cooperated when possible with other channels in allowing chars to play in multiple games at once, keeping their items and experience, accepting claims of IC territory and authority over various cities, and held a general policy of open-door crossover.

This will no longer be the case, effective January 2003 and forward. 

 

What occurs in non-Alliance channels and games does not govern ours.

 

What you bring here, use here and create here, stays here (Characters, storylines, channels/locations), unless you have cleared your slate with your ST.

Putting a character or story in play is automatically agreeing to this policy. If you cannot handle this policy, then please don't bother to submit a character here. 

This is to protect the integrity of the storyline against "magically vanishing PC's" and protects other players whose PC's could be cheated out of RP or otherwise affected through no fault of their own by the actions of another player. Legal game moves for other players will not be forfeit simply because someone quits playing. 

 

(NB 04/04/04 updated: CHARACTERS & COPYRIGHT LAW:

Sorry for the "legalese" but due to the immature behaviour and harassment of some former players here with a terminal case of sour grapes, this  policy needs to be spelled out.

Characters are NOT copyrightable! 

Copyright law protects unique works only (characters are not unique works), and only if you actually apply to get and are granted said copyright with the US Copyright Office in Washington. To all of the whiners and bad sports who have been hounding us about the above rule violating your "copywrite" (SIC), the laws are clearly stated at: http://www.loc.gov/copyright/ . 

White Wolf owns all legal rights to this universe, just as you can't copyright something you did in Star Trek, Star Wars, Anime or anything else made in a world someone else owns, without the owner's expressed consent to allow you to hold it. This is done for authors who write White Wolf novels, for example, but players do not fall under the aegis of any such law. 

A PC for this game is impossible to be a unique work, as it cannot be expressed or played without using terminology and formatting that White Wolf owns, therefore the Copyright Office would never grant you rights to own it in its complete state. And, what you would retain after removing every snip that White Wolf owns, wouldn't be much information at all. Pretty much just a concept. No stats, no powers, nothing.

We have on file emails from White Wolf staff stating that they consider such information as a PC or a Character Sheet & Bio as legally a "Derivative Work," but only for their own purposes of whether White Wolf would sue players for writing about their own characters. By actual US Copyright Law, a PC does not even qualify as a legal derivative work by the criterion set forth by these laws. It is simply White Wolf being nice about it to sow goodwill with their fan base.

As quoted verbatim directly from the WW Web site on the matter:

"You may list a personal copyright for your characters or graphics you have created for your site, but keep in mind anything that is derivative from our works is still owned by us. Two simple examples: If you make a character from clan Gangrel, that is not your character and could never be used without our permission. If you make a logo that has a clan symbol as a portion of it, you could never publish that piece of art without our permission. Even without this copyright on your homepage, that law still applies, so make it easy on both of us and post it :-)" (From  http://www.white-wolf.com/darkspiral/signup.html )

So in closing, there is no such law or White Wolf policy that precludes our rules above. White Wolf staff have, in fact, fully endorsed and encouraged our policy (of "what plays here, stays here"), in writing. The only entity that owns anything in the eyes of the courts, in this game, is White Wolf.

4. Important URL's to know!

 

White Wolf Home:                                     http://www.white-wolf.com/

For Help With IRC:                                    http://www.irchelp.org/

mIRC Software:                                         http://www.mirc.com/                       

 

[a] FORMAT:

- FORMAT FOR CHARACTER SHEETS: Character sheets are mandatory &  must be in *.v2c or *.cgc format. You must have ST permission to submit any other format (such as if the template is damaged, tallies wrong, doesn't exist, or you run Mac or Linux). 

Programs to make character sheets are here: ( http://www.digitalgothic.net/Files/downloads.htm ) .

- CHARACTER SHEET & BACKGROUND FILE NAMES: PLEASE name the char sheet after your character’s actual name/nick, so we can find it later! Also please put your EMAIL on it somewhere in case we have questions.

- TEXT CHAR SHEETS: We do not accept TEXT/RTF/DOC character sheets, because Initial dots and Freebie point expenditures can't be regressed & verified as they can by the Character Generator Program. However, you may wish to include things that simply have no space/home on the CharGen sheets, on your background text sheet. (such as Weapons, extraneous items always assumed to be carried, etc.)

- TEXT SHEET FORMAT: Please do not send *.doc's in anything other than Office95 or RTF format. If you have a newer version of MSOffice, please convert them to either Office95 DOC, RTF or TXT ("Save As...").

 

[b] DOTS:

- FREEBIES & PRIOR EXPERIENCE: All new characters use standard WW starting dots. (plus up to 7 freebies bought with Flaw overages.) You may not have more than the standard freebies (usually 15 or 21 depending on your character class) without express permission from your 11th Hour ST. If you made the sheet for another channel and they awarded extra points, your ST has the right to ask that you remove them. You may not add extra starting Experience  to your sheet unless your ST authorizes it for their own purposes (such as bonus exp. for outstanding backgrounds or char concepts, at ST's subjective discretion). New characters are not normally given extra experience to start off with, as it is not needed, so please don’t ask for it. If your ST feels you should have it, it will be offered to you.

- POINT EXPENDITURES: Do not send us a "Min-Maxed" character (one that has 4-5 dots in just a couple things and almost nothing anywhere else.) Specialization doesn’t mean the character is devoid of other basic skills. Also, do not send us a "Platypus" (aka, a "Heinz 57") character. That is a character that has a little bit of everything but it makes no sense, some kind of random mish mash of abilities that do not match the concept. Dots will be checked against the background you write to make sure the complete character concept makes sense.

- ALTERATIONS: Do not alter the dots on your sheet once the final version has been approved, unless directed to do so by your ST or with their knowledge & approval. You will be held to using the version your ST was last given. When it comes time to buy dots with experience, discuss it with your ST, then make sure they get an updated copy of the sheet ASAP once you update it.

 

[c] POWER LEVEL & STATS OF PRE-EXISTING (GRANDFATHERED) DALNET CHARACTERS:

- WHY DO THE OPS GET ALL THE "GOOD" CHARACTERS?:

This is misleading. The Ops have the right to run a high level NPC as needed in a storyline. You may not. It's not favoritism - the World of Darkness will always contain something bigger than you in it, and that something belongs in the hands of your ST. That, and the Ops have been part of this chronicle for years and have earned what they have, like everyone else. We also run brand new characters that are weaker than many PC's.

- WHY DO ALL THE OPS’ FRIENDS GET TO HAVE POWERFUL CHARACTERS AND I DON’T?:

Also misleading. Several players have been with us since before the 11^th Hour as a channel ever existed. Those characters are part of our collective history and they have earned their powers in RP over several years. Such characters end up as NPC’s eventually anyway (in the third definition sense). We work extremely hard to run a story where a mortal can play alongside a grandfathered NPC and not feel bullied or taken advantage of OOC (IC is of course another matter, and subject to the other char’s ethics, not the player’s.)

 

- GRANDFATHERED CHARACTERS:

A very limited number of chars who were in the Dalnet game since long before the 11th Hour even existed as a channel, may have some anomalies that we have grandfathered into the game. It is hard to retroactively revise a character that has been in play for over 5 years as is, and has a common history with other chars in our channel. But even in this, there are still limits. Even certain older characters were not permitted if they were unworkably cheesy and unsalvageable. 

We're just explaining why some players may "appear" to be exempt from the rules. In some cases, we have had to exercise selective memory to account for stats or facts that were outside the rules at that time, as there was no way to make the "facts" fit (especially for ex-freeformers). Don't ask for this exception; most players this applies to, we already knew who you are and we're trying to phase this out of the game, not add more of it. People who abuse this exception will be kicked out if we get too many complaints that actually have merit.

To counterbalance their existence, we have tight controls on powerful characters to provide an environment where everything from a mere mortal to an Elder can RP fairly and with a sense of balance and hope of accomplishment. Also, many of the characters this applies to are slowly being phased out of play anyway.

NB: This exception does NOT overrule the 1,200 Exp points Max cut-off, nor are you excused from additional char sheet review as stated earlier. If your character was grandfathered in, you still are responsible to make sure it meets the other guidelines on this page such as Exp cap, no FF on it, legal expenditure of dots, etc.

- REVISING OLD CHARACTERS:

Characters that were legal PC chars prior to 3rd Edition. You are responsible for finding out what you need to redo for 3rd Edition. Chars created in older editions, even NPC's, must revise their sheets to 3rd Edition standard, especially if White Wolf specifically published something that makes it necessary (such as the demise of the Tremere Antitribu or Ravnos, or the reworking of Temporis, etc).

Effective January 2003, characters grandfathered in, prior to then, will remain approved, provided that the player revises their char sheet(s) to be 3rd edition compliant.

Characters from Dalnet players who previously left our channel (while in good standing) will be subject to re-approval by current rules before being reaccepted (this doesn't apply to banned players or confiscated chars; they are forfeit). Characters who had not asked to be grandfathered in before January 2003 are no longer accepted in the game and their fates at ST discretion to explain away.

- ST COMMENTARY: MY EXCEPTION TO WHITE WOLF CANON ON REVISION OF STATS

As an ST, I personally have serious issues with White Wolf's tendency to push  the "POOF" method of handling disciplines, merits, flaws, backgrounds and other stats that suddenly change dramatically, or vanish altogether, via a book revision. I do not dispute the idea that, over the years, IC, skills and things may shift and change. But, I am not enrolled that chars just wake up one day and magically 100% forget or suddenly know how do to something, or suddenly stop or start being things, with no background or RP behind it to explains how this occurred IC, just because some author changed a book after the fact. 

I have had personal first-hand experience with that method blowing up in my face due to someone who knew my char previously, bringing up something in the RP that called attention to the disparity. It ruined the scene and caused an OOC break for several hours arguing about all the IC repercussions.

To give a personal example of a solution I think works better: my own char has had several stats on the sheet that, while I even spent the manhours  RP'ing out earning them, were either cheesy, awkward, or outright illegal (God bless Freeform RP). My solution in one case was that, during a storyline in which the char was unconscious with a severe injury, when she awoke, the offending stats were just gone, but due to some possible head trauma or whatnot. Anyone who knows something of brain damage can attest that this phenomenon is quite viable. So, the problem gets solved without any plot inconsistencies liable to crop up later in RP, and without any gross rape of the char's or chronicle's history. 

Any radical shifts in stats due to this sort of thing will be implemented as soon as [1] We hear about it, [2] the players affected get with their ST's to come up with a storyline, background or other explanation to account IC for the sudden change, and [3] the players submit a revised character sheet after being told about 1 & 2 (please don't dawdle to get out of it). 

 

I am not the sort to track every newly published book. I have neither the time, the money nor the inclination to try, especially not in a game this large running 10 genres at once. So if you know of a relevant change and wish to politely inform the ST's of a crucial revision we have overlooked, please feel free. This is also an excellent use of the Yahoo Groups list, to post such things, thus giving affected players a "heads up" (with cited sources, of course).

 

[d] POWER LEVEL FOR NEW CHARACTERS:

Power levels for starting characters will be explained in detail in section 2a (Submission Guidelines) on the sub-section for each individual genre.

Starting characters will be just that. You may have as many dots as the book allows for new characters in your genre. (Example: Kuei Jin at Dharma 1, etc.) See the individual pages for each genre for more specifics. We do not run a game where NPC's eat all the new guys, so don't ask for extra dots to "help you survive." They are not needed.

 

[e] BACKGROUNDS:

- BACKGROUNDS: THE "BIG FOUR" QUESTIONS 

(Questions all Backgrounds must fully answer).

Backgrounds are mandatory. They do not have to be long; in fact, we prefer they not be. Nor are they supposed to be a creative writing/stream of consciousness exercise. Just the facts, please. Your background for any character in this game must answer at least these 4 questions or it may be refused (some genres are required to provide more than this, check the sub-genres rules pages for info):

[1] BEGINNINGS: Brief synopsis of how your character came to be what they are now. (e.g.: your Embrace, a Garou's first change, a Mage's Awakening, whatever is applicable.) Where did you grow up? With who? How did this influence your character? Why are you not there now? Who were your friends, family, mentors?

[2] LEARNING: Brief explanation of any dots you have in skills that would be taught, learned or earned. (eg: Where'd you get streetwise from? What exact  languages do you speak? Who exactly are your Allies/Contacts? What are your Allies/Contacts capable of? What source is your Resources from?)

[3] PURPOSE/AGENDA: Why are you coming to DC? Out of anywhere in the world, why here? What is one short term (immediate) and one long term goal your character wishes to accomplish? and

[4] USEFULNESS/SIGNIFICANCE: What does your character do that other PC’s will care about? Does he know someone here? Work somewhere local? Have a skill to barter with? Where will you be hanging out that other PC’s are likely to care or run into you or seek you out?

Being Stuck: If you have problems writing a background, try just pasting these four questions into a text file and then answer them, putting the answers underneath each question. If you get stuck, please ask your ST for hints and help on answers, but do not omit any questions. Again, backgrounds are not a creative writing exercise, they are an ST and player tool to coach RP with. 

 

Length of BG: If you insist on writing a novel, please summarize the answers (as in approximately one sentence answers) to the "Big Four" someplace on the sheet. Backgrounds that are deliberately verbose in hopes of sucking out extra freebies or exp. but that do not add any quality to the character, may not be awarded any extra points. Long is not always good. Short is not always bad. Well-written is well-written and that is what is rewarded.

 

Quality of BG: We know not everyone writes professionally or at that level, but we do expect some effort. Please try to stay away from the old and worn out "My parents were abusive" approach to a background. Sure, it happens, but we see this used in over 50% of the BG's submitted. It's overused by players to get out of actually thinking of something creative and fresh. 

BG's that are one large paragraph of babble, not spell checked at least somewhat, or fail to answer ALL FOUR questions will be automatically rejected, so don't even waste anyone's time sending them. The ST's have enough things they need to scrutinize it for, without trying to decipher incomprehensible grade school level scribble. 

 

Also, please don’t name background sheets  "background.doc"; you might catch an ST busy or sleepy when you DCC it, and end up overwriting someone else's when you send it in, by accident.

Merits - Flaws - Backgrounds - Disciplines - Etc.

- PREEXISTING CHARS MUST UPDATE OLDER M/F/BG/D’s:

You may run a pre-existing character that was already created with a prior edition of the rules, as long as you update any stats that are superceded, changed or specifically done away with in newer editions. Merits, flaws, backgrounds, etc. that are not specifically updated or stated as removed in newer editions, will be permitted in old chars created at the time which they were valid **IF** there is no equivalent in 3rd edition that it can be converted to. Not every new book is all-inclusive, so omission is not automatically tantamount to removal.

- NEW CHARS MAY NOT TAKE PRIOR EDITION M/F/BG/D’s:

New chars may not take M/F/BG/D's from any edition prior to the one in play at the time of char creation. We default to the most recently published book, so make sure you know your copyright dates before contesting something. Should we find a M/F/BG/D on your sheet that is out of date, it will be revised or removed, though you may keep the points to spend elsewhere.

- RESTRICTED M/F/BG/D’s:

You may not use restricted Merits/Flaws etc. such as those which ONLY appear in a Clan/Tribe/Tradition etc. book and never in the main edition, (such as the Torie's "Blase", which only appears in CB:T. If you are not a Torie, you can’t have it), if you are not playing the exact character class to which it is restricted/for whom it was created.

- OVERUSED/ABUSED M/F/BG/D’s:

If we continue to get chars with frequently abused Merits such as Iron Will, Silver Tolerance, Eat Food or Unbondable, we may begin restricting their use even though they are legally allowable, so choose wisely only what fits the character concept, not just because it sounds neat or godly. These Merits only have value in their rarity. Those who already have them, should we issue a moratorium on them, may keep them.

- CROSS GENRE M/F/BG/D’s:

You may not cross Merits etc. from one genre to another (such as using a  specifically Fae or Garou only Merit for a Kindred.) It must appear somewhere in some book for the genre you are playing, to be able to use it. (The exception to this is obviously Mortals. Mortals may use any non-supernatural Merits & Flaws in any books for genres that have mortal PC's.)

- BACKGROUNDS TIED TO ANOTHER CHARACTER MUST BE EXPLAINED IN DETAIL:

If you put a M/F/BG/D on your sheet that needs an explanation or a connection to an NPC or another PC, you will need to explain this in your Background. For example, if you put in Allies or Contacts, we're going to want to know who they are. If you put Fame, where's it from? Are you known on sight, through reputation, or what? (Example: I haven't got a clue what Salvador Dali looks like, though I know and love his art.) If you have a fake ID or fake Mortal Identity, what criminal do you know that got it for you, or what Gov't lackey do you control who edited your paperwork, Etc. Please put some thought into these things.

BACKGROUNDS - CONTACTS in DC - How Does My Char Find Out Where To Go?:

Not all characters will newly arrive in DC being "in the know" where certain locations are. This especially applies to, for example, knowing where Elysium is, what territories "belong to whom" IC, what clubs are "supernatural-friendly", etc. What you should know is expected to be addressed either in your PC’s Background (why you came to DC & who you will hang out with), or through  finding out IC from other chars or your Allies & Contacts. 

If you can’t find PC Contacts, ask an Op; we’ll help you find one. Some PC’s cannot just "Walk In" to certain locations without a justification for your character knowing about them. You will need to establish not only a means, but a motive for your char to find certain places, especially if your char is an outsider to all major factions controlling some part of DC.

Some char classes have alternate channels in which to play more freely and true to their nature since they may not be able to fit in at certain IC locations inappropriate to your character type (example: Garou). These restrictions are not intended to discourage players from playing - they are the OOC expressions of necessary IC City politics and restrictions (Domain, the Masq, etc.).

Again, if you are struggling with getting your character into play, talk to either your ST or an Op on duty and we will help you. But, also recognize that if you make certain automatically alienating choices about your character, it could potentially preclude them from finding a way in, or finding their way quickly out again via a very pissed off bouncer. Bear this in mind as you decide who you wish to play. We will not make a "Star Wars Bar" to facilitate the introduction of a character you choose to design as not fitting in somehow, somewhere with any faction or location.

[f] - FORBIDDEN CHARACTER CLASSES:

The following will not be accepted in this game at any time -

No Player-Created Clans/Tribes or "Web Clans/Tribes" allowed.

If it does not appear either at www.white-wolf.com or in a book they published, it does not exist. The exception to this rule was removed in March 2002. There are now NONE.

NO NPC CLASSES PLAYED AS PC’S.

You may not use character classes specified as NPC only, as PC's (example: Baali, Cappadocians/Harbingers of Skulls, etc., NPC's from a WW Book). Having a clan/tribe book issued for it does not automatically mean it is a PC-Class character. Refer to "Restricted" sections of the sub-rules pages for more specifics.

No Non-White Wolf Character Classes allowed.

We are not AD&D. We are not Cyberpunk. We are not Shadowrun. We are not Highlander. We are not In Nomine. These games are spiffy, but that is not what we play here. We are White Wolf's World of Darkness ONLY. Period. Just because some idiot with a PC was savvy enough to load a web site with conversion rules, doesn't make it balanced or legal, and we have no interest in setting precedent by accepting it. As per above, if it is not in an official White Wolf published gaming item, it doesn't exist.

No Non-Modern-Day Character Classes allowed.

No Dark Ages anything, no Bygone Beastiary beasts (modern day disbelief would kill them), etc. No extinct by the 20th Century bloodlines or char classes.

REHASHED CHARACTERS:

Please don't send us a sheet for a Char you are currently playing elsewhere, just altered slightly to pretend to be another char. As in: same stats/new name, same name/new stats (different Gen/Char class/etc.). If we find out you did this, the char is immediately forfeit (ST Property) and you will be kicked out.

"LEGAL" CHARS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED FROM ILLEGAL PLAYERS:

Any characters that belong to AKicked/Banned players will not be accepted at any time, even if the char sheet is otherwise squeaky-clean and done properly in every way. Playing here is a privilege, not a right, and being banned forfeits that right.

NO VENGEANCE CHARACTERS:

If your character dies, do not create a long lost  brother / cousin / clanmate / packmate [insert convenient tie-in to the lost PC] to avenge your character. We will specifically reject any newly created chars of the same clan-tribe-family as the dead char, or with BG ties to the lost character, even if the sheet is otherwise 100% legal. If such a new character or connection is not in play before the character’s death, it will not get approved after the fact. If your characters have the same contacts/allies/friends, work for the same people, are of the same clan/tribe/etc., and so on. The Op’s judgment on whether you created a vengeance character is the final word. You have to convince us it is not.

 

[g] - RESTRICTED CHAR CLASSES:

The following character classes are considered restricted. That means they are legal but the ST's have reasons to control who plays them and how many there are in play. The ST's have final say in what players they feel are responsible enough to be entrusted with one of these chars. It is unlikely that a brand new player will be allowed to run one of these, so it is not recommended you ask unless you have a phenomenal char concept or you have proven yourself as a responsible player. 

Restrictions specific to one genre are posted on the rules page for that genre.  

More generic restricted character classes are posted below.

All WOD:

- OBSOLETE: Any Clan, Bloodline or other WOD char class that is known to have been phased out by White Wolf canon in the most current edition of the rules (example: most Ravnos, Ahrimanes, Tremere Antitribu, etc.) Do not argue with your ST that "there's a few left."

- LILITH: Bahari (not all Bahari were Kindred). If you don’t know what this is, don’t play one.

-  "Secret Society" Chars (such as Inquisition, etc.)

-  OOC Male players who habitually write promiscuous bisexual female chars. (This has just been done so much to death that  it has become an annoyance & will be stopped.)

-  Known "Combat Whore/Sword Jocks," trying to run yet another warrior.

-  Infernalist-type characters of any sort not covered elsewhere.

- Any PC's written up from OOC/IRL friends, or Boy-girlfriend/Spouse teams, whose backgrounds are so inextricably linked that if something happens to one character we lose the pair or entire group automatically. Give your PC an existence outside this person or they will not be accepted. Should one of the pair or party die or vanish, you are expected to continue to RP. Your friend or SigOther can write a new character.

Some of these are run poorly. Some attract God moders. Some attract Cyber Hounds. Some attract people who think that a unique character means one must avoid any semblance of archetype whatsoever and make something so outlandish as to be not viable. Some are simply rare in numbers, and some just wouldn't logically be in this City (for cultural or geographical reasons, for example).

Also, bear in mind that the Laws are enforced, both Supernatural & Mortal. You can choose a legal character that may not be safe here at all IC, because they are an outsider by design. We do NOT guarantee your safety or compatibility IC; that is your responsibility as players to handle through RP. If your ST feels the character is going to attract more than the usual ration of IC hassle, they may point this out and suggest that you alter it, but they won't forbid you playing it... nor will they protect other PC's from turning on you if you bring in someone they would naturally loathe IC.

[a]. Special Requirements for Submission of Character sheets are detailed on the Sub-genre rules pages.

[b]. APPROVAL PROCESS:

- HOW LONG UNTIL I AM APPROVED?:

We do not guarantee a turnaround time on char sheets. We will try to approve you quickly, but [1] the ST's are entitled to a life or a night off, and [2] Not every sheet is ready to go when we first receive it. Feel free to politely inquire, once every couple of days, but do not nag. (Hint: this is a good reason to make sure you put your email on your CS.) Excessive hounding for approval may result in you being removed from the game. You can speed up this process by checking your sheet and BG carefully & being sure they are in order. Approved chars will be Voiced (+v mode). 

 

- DO NOT RP UNTIL YOU ARE APPROVED. 

No combat or diced actions will count until you are approved. We no longer Temp approve characters, as this has not worked out in in past cases, some of which ended up in illegal combat. Also, if you don't have access to your char sheet/stats, do not RP either, as any scene could end up requiring dice rolls. You will never know til it's too late.

 

- APPROVAL OF MULTIPLE CHARACTERS:

Approval of one character is NOT automatic approval to play more without submitting each to the same approval process. Each character sheet must go through the process of individual approval. Having voice (+v) in channel is not permission to run a new char that we have not approved yet.

[c] WHO NEEDS A COPY OF YOUR SHEET?:

Obviously, your ST (listed on the subgenre pages). Your ST will also need an updated copy of your sheet any time it is changed. This is your responsibility to offer, not ours to hunt you down and ask. You will only be allowed to dice off the sheet your ST has approved and has a copy of.

If an Op/St from our game, even from another genre, asks for your sheet for any reason, give it to them. If this is a problem, speak to your ST about their request.

 

[d] ONGOING RIGHT TO SPOT-REVIEW CHAR SHEETS:

*Please read this paragraph carefully, until you are absolutely sure that you understand it. Every player is subject to this rule, yet we have had numerous players act as if they never saw it. Please don't be one of them.*

The ST’s reserve the UNCONDITIONAL right to, on demand: review, question, or ask for explanations, backgrounds or revisions on ANYTHING on ANYONE’s sheet in this chronicle, at ANY TIME for ANY REASON.

This may occur weeks, months, or even years after initial approval, if an ST feels it is warranted. That is their right to make that call, not yours.

Once your sheet’s approved, do not assume it’s in stone, irrevocably locked in, and we’re stuck with it. We are people with lives outside of IRC. We may have been busy or tired while reviewing a sheet. We may simply miss something and realize it after the fact. One ST may interpret something one way, and one another, that changes its acceptability. Rules may change, either White Wolf or channel rules.

IT DOESN’T MATTER

 

In order to properly and fairly referee our game, we reserve this right. Sometimes we're going to miss stuff or ST's will disagree, and that means we have to go back and change something. It happens. Do not bitch about it or refuse to cooperate. We do not ask such things lightly, so if they ARE asked, there will always be a good reason.

If you play here, you agree to this condition. Anyone who has a problem with this concept can play elsewhere. Extend the same right to diligence to every ST that you would want on your side, if your char's life depended on the ruling. One night, it very well may.

 

[e] HOW MANY CHARACTERS MAY I SUBMIT?:

We do not have a set number. This is an individual thing, much like asking "How much food should I eat?" Obviously, what you need, and what you are able to handle. The guideline is that you may submit and run as many characters as you can consistently handle and obey the two week/one month check-in rule. For some players, that isn’t even one character. For others, they can juggle many at the same time.

If you begin to slack, your ST may request you put some characters on the shelf for a while. Please take these requests seriously, as continued neglect of them could result in them being confiscated by your ST if it becomes habitual slacking off.

If you get into the habit of creating a lot of characters you ignore, you may not only have them confiscated, but be restricted from creating any more of them until the ST’s feel you appreciate and respect the amount of bother and effort we expend in the approval process. We give each new character the same amount of time and attention, and it is rude for a player to cavalierly pile up a stable you don’t really want. See the section "5. Inactivity/Hiatus Guidelines" if you simply feel a legitimate need to put a character on hold or retire them.

 

[a] PLAYER PARTICIPATION

Q: "So, what’s the main channel where everyone is playing?"

A: This is the World of Darkness, not a "Star Wars Bar."

What this means is, there is no one central channel where all the characters always go, hang out in the bar and happily co-exist. While we recognize that this is convenient for PC interaction, it is not realistic given the venue in which we are playing. The World of Darkness, when run correctly and true to its spirit, doesn’t work that way even in a crossover game.

Therefore, any hardships due to the lack of such are to be dealt with IC; by making allies, contacts, friends, tracking your enemies, gathering information, subterfuge, spying, or whatever other means you devise through RP to meet other PC's.

[b] HOW TO GET OTHERS TO RP WITH YOU, THE RIGHT WAY:

Judicious use of the OOC Channel and the YahooGroups lists to communicate with your fellow players and ST's can make a world of difference. Do not whine to your ST's that "You have nothing to do because no one is IC." The first thing you will be told is to go IC yourself. The first thing you will be asked, is what you have done today to create RP, rather than waiting for the story to come and happen to you.

[c] WHY AREN’T THE ST’S DOING THEIR JOB OF GIVING ME SOMETHING TO DO THEN?:

The ST's have a job to do, yes, but unless you are brand new, holding your hand isn't it. As stated earlier, this is not "Troupe Roleplay." We do not sit down and begin a formal storyline that every character will be guaranteed a part in. You are responsible to play your character - that is why we make you write a background, telling you why you're here and what you're here to do. Go do it. Be the first one in, go where your PC would be, and use the OOC channel to invite other PC's to participate with you. 

Also, please do not neglect playing characters that you are in danger of breaking the 2 week/1 month rule with, by blaming it on no one to RP them with. If for example, your Cammie needs to RP and everyone is in the Garou channel, use the OOC channel and let people know you need to do some Cammie RP. Then others know and can respond to you and accommodate you, either then or perhaps later (being soon, usually). Lead by example, not by complaint or by being slack.

[d] ROLEPLAYING IN UNOFFICIAL SIDE CHANNELS: What is accepted/allowed

Because of too many disagreements when something went wrong, we now more strictly police what occurs in any side channels players create or wander off to during RP. Because any scene COULD, and sometimes HAS, ended up in a combat or worse, we now have a policy that either an Op or ST must be present in the side channel for the RP to be acknowledged. If that is not possible because we're AFK or out, one of those involved must report the scene to an ST, preferably offering them the logs if needed. And LOG EVERYTHING. Otherwise you will not get experience or items gained in the scene. If RP is not reported and you continue to RP about that event improperly, the ST could potentially make you void months of character history to fix it.

Too many players have gone off on their own, but then if it comes to combat and something isn't done "fairly", the players suddenly want the Ops/ST's to fix things. Plus, on more than one occasion, players have dragged other players to non-Alliance channels where those PC's are suddenly subject to different rules, different approved or not allowed characters, and so on, and this damaged the RP with those changes.

ST's have the right to review the RP and intervene after the fact if something was not done properly at the time the RP happened. If Side RP becomes habitually abused, we may dock Exp points from chronic offenders or confiscate chars.

Also ST's reserve the right & authority to be in channel to ST or monitor any RP in any side channel that originated with our chronicle, chars or channels. (eg: if you are in the 11th Hour or the Web, and your chars leave and go to the Coffee Shop or Mary's Haven or the Park or whatever, we still are the ST's for that side RP and have final say in the dispensation of the scene.) 

You may not know all the factors that can affect a char in that scene (Such as unobvious consequences of sex or feeding (bonding, poison, diseases), secret use of a discipline/gift/rote, etc.) Only that char's ST is qualified to guide such results. Refusal of legitimate channel access to an ST may result in harsh penalties for both player and character.

 

[e] ROLLING DICE:

- DICEBOTS

Dicebots (mIRC Scripts) are used in any discipline or combat move that would normally require a dice roll in a tabletop game. Please declare your actions and roll your dice in #11thHourOOC. Declarations are done in reverse order of who wins Init. (if the Init Script is in use, it will also roll init for you. Type !init # (where # = your wits + dex totaled)

Ops have dicebots active for your use. The command for dice in channel, if you don't have your own dice, is "!dice (or !sdice) # #" (stats/diff).

 

- PERSONAL DICEBOTS

You may use your own dice bot for yourself but you must still roll in the OOC channel. Normally you should use the ST's dice. If no one is there, you should not perform game actions which require dice anyway, as no one is moderating it.

If anyone's script is thought to be suspect, a copy of the *.ini script may be demanded for inspection of suspected rigging.

Please turn off your dicebot scripts for use by other players when entering, as it will flood the channel when someone rolls. You may only use personal dicebots for yourself.

 

[f] COMBAT: 

- CHARACTER DEATHS - IF YOUR CHAR DIED IN ANOTHER GAME:

Since we are now a closed game, we don't care if you submit a character that died in another channel because their world does not exist to us IC. However, do not put any history from that other chronicle in your background for here. The character would in essence be starting over. You can also submit a character that died here elsewhere if you wish, but it will never be in play here again even if you find a way to bring it back IC in someone else's chronicle.

 

- RESURRECTIONS:

If you did not openly RP any sort of soul-saving / resurrections etc. at the time of the char's death, you do not get to use them after the fact. If it's not in play when you died, it's not in play, period. (There is an exception for certain situations involving Wraiths. Slander must personally clear those or they don't count.)

 

- LEAVING COMBAT UNFINISHED (aka "Combat Ditching")

Ditching RP in the middle of a combat without prior clearance to leave from an 11^th Hour ST is grounds for automatic character death IC, and player ban/akick OOC.

 

[1] If you are aware you will need to leave within 15 minutes or sooner, do not involve yourself in a combat.

[2] If another PC forces you to be, inform an ST IMMEDIATELY in msg that you were about to leave.

[3] If you have a PC crash or OOC emergency you must clear this up with an Op or ST first thing upon your return, or the Char may be ruled as dead.

You will be penalized if you willingly instigate combat knowing you cannot complete it OOC unless all parties involved agree to place the scene on hold. Habitual faking of excuses to escape fair RP could result in a kick/ban.

- "ONE-LINERS" & "AUTOKILLS" POLICY:

One-liners will NOT be accepted in place of any diced actions.

One-line kills are free-formed, run-on sentences pretending to be combat. They encompass an entire melee in 1 sentence (i.e.: Mary walks into the bar, sees Jack, gets out her knife and cuts off his head (not allowing the other player any actions.) In a One-Liner, the player executing it does not acknowledge any actions or counters to which the opponent could be entitled, and assumes all his actions against his opponent automatically succeed.)

 

No characters, whether PC or NPC, are entitled to an AutoKill.

White Wolf's Combat System and a properly-done character sheet, takes into account all the skills, advantages and bonuses a character is entitled to in a fight. If your stats allow you any special init or undetectable/sneak attacks, these will be accounted for in your stats. Any secret actions you feel other players shouldn't see in channel should be privately messaged to & approved by an Op/ST in advance of the action, or it will not count.

[g] STORYTELLING: PRIVATE/PERSONAL STORYLINES & PLOTS

- We do allow, and in fact encourage, players to offer storylines of their own, provided you have cleared the content with an Op/ST and continue to inform us of happenings in case they need reviewing. 

 

[h] POPUPS / CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS:

*More than ONE paragraph (3-4 lines) is NEVER necessary!*

A description should be ONLY what people see with a quick peripheral glance at you. Don’t put anything that people cannot discern immediately (such as inactive powers, hidden weapons, who gave you that ring, your Clan, or what color your underwear is, if the char even wears any). Annoying descriptions (too long, excess graphics, etc) are a KICKABLE OFFENSE because they flood the channel. We can help you edit your descriptions if you ask. 

 

If you simply HAVE to share more details, put some kind of "Message me for more info" blurb in your description, then send it in private message to other players who want it. Another effective way to convey an extensive description is to create a web page with more information and post the URL in your description.

 

Also, please proofread your stuff! This isn't typed live, so please edit your misspellings and screw ups. This entrance is your first impression, how others view your character, and it shows laziness and disrespect to yourself and to other players who have to read it, to post a bunch of illegible garbage. The purpose of the popup is to concisely convey important information about your character to others, and if they can’t read it, you waste your time and ours posting it. 

 

DESCRIPTIONS - DRESS CODE IC:

Different channels have different requirements for IC attire to be allowed to enter. Some are, such as CapHill or the Elysium, for example, Minimum of Business Casual to enter; enforced IC. Some, such as Web of Night, are the exact opposite. Please refer to the posted web sites that depict the location you are in (usually in the channel topic, or on the Maps & Tours page) for details on expected behavior and dress. Your character is expected to dress appropriately to the venue in which they are present at all times, or to suffer the consequences IC such as being removed from the scene, mocked, loss of Status, or whatever applies. Also note, unless you have Resources 0 as a BG, you should have more than one change of clothes. Please RP accordingly.

 

[a] OUTSIDE EXPERIENCE POINTS:

Since we are now a closed game, we do not honor outside experience points.

[b] EXPERIENCE POINTS CAP (ABSOLUTE MAX):

No Character in this game, not even an NPC, will ever have more than 1,200 exp points.

 

The VtM/WOD game on Dalnet, where most of us started RP'ing together, began roughly sometime back in 1996. Bear in mind that NO ONE RP's every day, so even with ST's awarding extras, you really couldn't have more than at most 300 exp per year, and for your average player, 200 a year is extremely generous (that's almost 1400 exp right there!). Chars at that level are really uber-NPC's (implying that most PC’s wouldn’t encounter them anyway normally). The point is, nobody legally could possibly have earned more than that in this chronicle. Also, if you haven't already grandfathered in such a powerful character from Dalnet, you're too late.

[c] HOW MUCH EXP DO I GET? AND FOR WHAT?:

The approximate guideline for Exp. is 1 point for at least 2-3+ hours of involved, diced RP (not just drinking in the bar or cruising for cyber). You may count social RP, if you can legitimately document how it furthers a goal (information, spying, making a new contact, etc.) or a way of being for your character. Consult your ST when in doubt. LOG EVERYTHING your character does. We will not "take your word for it." We don't even do that with each other, as interpretations and mistakes can be made, even innocently.

You are on your own to tally up/police your experience, unless your ST tells you not to do so on your own. But, if you need an Op's advice or help, let them know. If you do something outstanding and want exp for it, submit a log to your ST with a note as to why.

NOTE: This is not "Troupe style" role-play. We do not guarantee your character a slot in the action. You need to find your reason to give a damn or to be someplace. A good role-player makes his own plausible reason to be there. This is why we ask you to make a BG and set goals. It gives you motivation to interact with others if you cannot create one off the cuff. That, and frankly, some characters do not fit in every scene that takes place. If you feel you are not seeing enough chances to play, speak to your ST for help. The ST’s are actually putting out leads and clues to things every time we go IC or ST something. However we are not going to put up a big neon sign telling you what they all are. That takes the fun out of the RP.

[a] DORMANT CHARACTERS / RP POLICY: The 2 Week/1 Month/Check-In Rule.

We have had to put a moratorium on people not playing for extended periods of time unexcused, because absences were abused to duck legal RP, and/or fellow players have been stranded for literally months by the discourtesy of someone removing a key character without warning. 

We absolutely respect every player & ST's right to "have a life," and we know personal emergencies happen. This is not about that - it is about common courtesy, integrity and handling your business like a responsible adult.

When you create a character for this game, that character is going to become important in some way to other people's characters, and to your ST who may plot stories to tell under the assumption that you would be available. When you are not available for long periods of time IC or even OOC, it disrupts the game and unfairly puts other players on hold waiting on you.

So, this policy has been instituted to put a stop to that, as follows. Unless you have specific permission in advance from your ST to do otherwise, you must abide by the following or your characters will be confiscated as NPC's:

- TWO WEEK CHECK IN:

You are required to at least check in, via message/IRC memo, Email, ICQ or the YahooGroups List, to your ST, for every single active character you have, no less often than every two weeks. Every character has "something to do." That's what backgrounds are for.

- RP ONCE A MONTH:

You will ADDITIONALLY be required, aside from checking in every two weeks, to actually bring the character IC no less than once a month. Play by Emails (PBEM) may be accepted only if your ST gives permission in advance, since we are not really a PBEM game. Some characters are wanted for live RP by others, which becomes unwieldy via Email. Please do not abuse this option as a way to avoid putting a char on hiatus that really should be, or this option may be rescinded. Inaction may result in ST confiscation of  the character.

- HIATUS:

If you can do neither of these, you must tell your ST why not, when you are returning to the game, and agree upon the fate of your characters in the meantime. If you do not know when you can return, then the character must be placed on Hiatus and you are responsible for closing out any outstanding RP they need to do, and arranging IC business so they do not unfairly hold up other players while you are away. (If you lose internet/PC access, most public libraries have Internet, as well as Internet Cafes. You can log on from there briefly, or contact a friend who can log on for you and let us know what your situation is.) If you do not show a good faith effort to keep us informed, you may lose the PC and rights to make any more in here.

If you leave the channel because you are removed/banned by an ST, your characters are automatically confiscated. 

If you stop playing the PC because you don't know what you should be doing IC, that is not an accepted reason to be excused from this rule. You are supposed to be going by your background goals, and/or asking your ST for help, long before it comes to this point, and failure to do so may cost you the PC and your playing privileges in here. Remember, we will allow you to write a legal PC but if you insist on having one that doesn't fit in well, that is your problem, so you should choose it and design it carefully the first time around.

 

[b] - RETIRING IN GOOD STANDING (Not quitting in a huff, or being banned):

If you leave the channel for good (by choice, in good standing), you are also expected to clean up with your ST about your characters before you go.

 

[c] - RETURNING TO THE GAME IN GOOD STANDING (Clarification 4-6-04):

Players who left the game in good standing (as per Section b above), and cleared out with their ST, are more than welcome to return, and even have a possible option of playing their old PC again, at ST's discretion, provided it hasn't been written out of the storyline in a way that precludes this occurring..

If you abandon a PC here (break the two week/one month rule) and the character is confiscated by an ST, this can potentially be grounds to refuse to allow you to return and play, even if we did not bother to ban you previously. Having a PC to have to clean up after is an irritating chore for the already very busy ST's, so players who force us to do it contribute annoyance and unneeded work for the Ops. This makes such players the sort that we may be disinclined to want back in here again, since they have proven already they disrespect our rules and our free time. 

Requests to return will be case by case, based on the situation, and it is not likely, if you are accepted back, that you will get your old PC back, even if we have not written it out of the story. 

If you do get to return, you will be limited to one PC at a time, unless and until  the ST's feel you can be trusted not to abandon any more, so choose the one you make very carefully.

 

Adults Ages 18+ Only Please. (We are not responsible for any underage player fraudulently representing themselves as a legal Adult). Some role-play we may create can potentially involve simulated murder, rape, torture, grisly deaths, child abuse, the use of caffeine in beverages, and other rough topics not for minors.

Players are not only not obligated to, but discouraged from, revealing information OOC about their character to other players especially in the public/OOC channel. Even excellent roleplayers will often unconsciously treat a character differently, in subtle ways, if they do not know what it is OOC, or if they believe they do before they earned it IC. Therefore, the less you tell anyone except your ST, the better the game will be. You will not be kicked for this, it's just frowned on and makes extra work for the ST's.

.

You can be kicked out for OOC reasons, even if your roleplaying skills are impeccable. The following are examples but are not considered to be all-inclusive. Any behavior that deteriorates the game will be policed by the Ops.

The following game related behaviors will not be tolerated:

- Excessive/pernicious rules hounding (as in after you are told to drop it)

- Bringing OOC knowledge/affinities/feelings into play where they do not belong in the char concept you are running (such as trying to sleep with a char just because a friend runs them, or trying to kill a char you shouldn’t be just because you don’t like the player).

- Bringing IC knowledge/affinities/feelings out of the game and forcing them on others where they do not belong (such as disruptive emotional attachment to a player because your characters are involved, or being hostile to a player because your characters are enemies/quarreled/fought IC)

- Backtalking an Op, insulting an Op, accusing an Op of cheating or playing favorites. All Ops have authority over all players' OOC behaviour, even if they do not ST the genre you are in. 

The following non game-related behaviors are bad "Netiquette" and will get you banned:

- Doing "Drivebys"/Revolving Door (popping in & out of channel a lot)

- A/S/L's, demanding IRL names, ages or pictures, or other invasions of player private information

- OOC unwelcome "Hot Chat" (Cybersex) or sexual harassment of other players

- Excessive displays of sexual, toilet, or body humor (Ops decide what is excessive)

- Flooding the channel or flooding someone in Msg (not accidentally; we mean like pasting excessive text without warning)

- "Trolling" / starting flame wars / habitual sniping and insulting. This includes inciting discussions on religion, politics, lifestyle choices, or any other topics that, like these, tend to encourage arguments in the channel that have nothing to do with the game.

When fellow players tells you that you have crossed a personal boundary, you are expected to honor that. You do not have a God given right to badger others while in this channel. While "how much is too much" is subjective, when an Op tells you to stop it, it is too much. Whether you agree or not is not relevant. Continuing to do so after being warned to stop will result in an Akick with ST Confiscation of all your characters.

EXCESSIVE LURKING:

Please do not confuse this with a new player being curious or learning what is expected of them. We are quite lenient as far as new players just coming into the channel, sitting and watching. This is how they learn and decide whether they can, and wish to, join our game.

However, we don’t appreciate extensive lurking in the channel. Lurking in this sense meaning coming in and just sitting for hours, not marked AFK, not being clear if you are reading up on our rules, working on your sheet, waiting for a specific ST, etc.  The reason we don't care for it is because this behavior says that you aren't here to roleplay, ever. And if you are not intending to EVER roleplay, learn to roleplay, observe whether you will roleplay, or discuss with an ST about your potential roleplay, you have no business in this channel. This is not to be used as a purely non game related social/chat/pickup channel.

If you are lingering to observe while you think it over, that is fine, but let us know this. All we ask is that if you cannot yet RP, either mark yourself as such with your nick, such as BrujahOOC (for Out of Character) or GarouJustWatching, etc., or inform an Op of your intentions so other players know not to expect you in play and try to RP with you. It also tips off ST’s and Ops that you could have questions or need help.

If you don’t want to change your nick, then at least let someone know what your intentions are (Hi, I’m here working on my background, I came to watch some role-play, I’m waiting for so-and-so ST to get back to me, etc.)

CHAT & NOTIFY:

Do not come into the channel if you are only there because you can’t find another user. This is not a personal social hall for those of you too lazy to put their friends on Notify and/or create their own channel for this stuff. Perhaps it's a hint that they don't *WANT* you to find them, if they won't cough up a consistent nick you can use. Take the hint.

To Players: If your friends do drivebys in the channel looking for you, they will be banned. You will also be asked to personally take responsibility to ask them not to do this on your behalf. If you want your friends to be able to find you, give them a nick they can consistently find and ask them not to buzz the channel looking for you. 

To Channel "Guests"/Visitors: If you don't plan to ever play here and aren’t even considering it, don't use the channel as your personal social hall or you will be removed and banned immediately. The OOC channel is for players and potential players only, not a non-players’ personal chat room. 

If you are new and lurking in the channel, you should be up to one of the following at all times: observing interaction or RP, working on your char sheet, asking questions about your future character, waiting for someone to arrive in channel (such as your future ST or someone who plays a character connected to yours) to help you, or awaiting your finished & submitted character sheet approval.

There is no hard and fast time limit on how long you can sit there without playing; it's too subjective. When you start to seem like you are wasting our time, you will be called on it. If your answer is not satisfactory you may be asked to leave. 

A general guideline is that if you don’t at least have a first draft of a character in to the ST’s within two weeks from your first day in the channel, you’re not serious about playing. Potential players will no longer be voiced until they submit a character, because this rule was abused and people spent more time in social hour than making a PC.

BEING AFK WITHOUT NOTICE:

It is highly discouraging for a player to come into a full channel and no one will RP with them, because they're all AFK but the player cannot discern this as their nicks are unchanged.

It is also discouraging for players who need help to message an Op, or also for an ST to message a player with a question, waiting ages for a response that isn't coming as the other person is away.

Please show some consideration to your fellow players and change your nick accordingly when you are unavailable, tell others in the channel you are leaving, or something, so they know you're not at the helm. 

 

The main channel (#11thHourOOC) is Moderated. +v (Voice) is for Players only.

You may notice when you come into #11thHourOOC for the first time, that the channel is moderated, which means non-voiced (+v) users cannot speak in channel. There are several reasons for this. [1] It cuts down on spamming and bot activity. [2] It forces players to remember to ID to their nicks which have autovoice in Chanserv. [3] It prevents any new people from harassing the channel or trying to do Walk-In Roleplay. [4] It forces new people to need to speak to an Op/ST first thing, which is what they need to be doing anyway, and [5] It prevents people who do not intend to play from using the channel as their personal social hall or chat room. 

New players will not be voiced in Chanserv until at the minimum, they submit a character and BG. Prior potential players abused this and chit chatted rather than made their chars, sometimes taking weeks to do it or abandoning the process after a week or two, thus wasting everyone's time. In fact, such behaviour is one reason this rule became necessary.

Ops may voice players who are legitimately in process of approval so they can ask questions of the channel, at Ops discretion. Please do not beg voice if you don't play here, nor if you have voice and are just too lazy to ID to Nickserv. Please confine voice requests to when Nickserv is not available to give it to you. Thank you.

The Ops’s word is law here.

This is White Wolf's #1 rule, and it is ours. This is not a democracy, it is a "benevolent dictatorship" dedicated to providing mutual entertainment, and all goals are towards that end. This is no different than a Tabletop game, in that sense.

You are welcome to question something politely. You are welcome to bring up a White Wolf source that may show a ruling as out of date or otherwise off-whack. You are not welcome to badger, whine, smacktalk the Ops, threaten to quit, threaten to ignore the ruling, or any other grade school crap if you don't get your own way.

Anyone here who is an Op, not just your genre ST, has the right to guide and police any player in here regarding OOC matters. 

If you feel an op has been unfair, log it and discuss it with them. We are happy to listen to mature discussion. But, once an Op has made a final decision on, told you to drop, or otherwise ended a discussion, it is over and ended. Drop it and move on. Failure to do so is grounds for an Akick.

All Ops have authority over ST’s who are not Ops.

If your storyline is causing a problem, an Op has complete permission to moderate it or overrule you if necessary in their judgment to police the game. If you don't like that, don't ST in my channel. ST'ing is permission to tell stories in my space. It is not authority over my players and most especially not over my Ops. Though I tend to award both authorities in tandem, I do not always do it, with good reason, so please do not confuse one with the other. If you give the Ops too much crap, your ST'ing privileges will be revoked.

The Ops volunteer to serve you. Behave accordingly.

You are in our IRC "Home," & are expected to behave accordingly. Do an analogy in your head before getting in your ST's face about something: Would you speak that way in person to an ST you aren't friends with IRL? If yes, do you think he wouldn't kick you out of his house (or the gaming store, convention, etc.)? If the answer to both is not Yes, then keep it to yourself, as it's highly likely we wouldn't tolerate it said typed either.

We will be as fair as possible. You can politely object to what you disagree about, but don’t demand, smart-mouth or threaten. Do not bitch that the Ops cheat or play favorites. We do no such thing, and yelling at us otherwise is not going to convince anyone, all it will do is piss us off and get you akicked. There are polite and appropriate ways to say anything, even to disagree. If you can't use them, you don't belong here.

Remember that not one single ST or Op here is obligated or paid to be here. We choose to spend our time doing it. We have a right to time off, and we have a right to insist on the time-honored tradition of "Our House, Our Rules." No competent ST would do otherwise.

Players do not have the right to play here - it is a privilege, extended to you by volunteers, and if abused can be revoked for whatever reason we see fit. Running this game is a gift from us, that we give out of love for playing and creating. Please conduct yourself as you would towards anyone who spends a lot of their personal time to benefit you. You are always free to leave if you don't like how we run our game. However, we hope you stay and enjoy yourself, as many others already do and have for many years.

 

ADDENDUM #1: 

Yes, we will be using Time Of Judgment in this Chronicle... EVENTUALLY. You will all be informed well ahead of time as it is phased in, and we plan to do it at the ST's discretion and pace, not White Wolf's exact timeline. The TOJ books will not even be completed being issued until 2004.

A final decision about the direction of the game won't be made until all the TOJ material is released, but we will be continuing this game in some recognizable form or possibly even forms, as we explore the options we will have. 

So, yes; there will still be a game.

More to come.