Roleplaying Rules & Guidelines
Wingbeats - Roleplaying Rules & Guidelines
Welcome to Wingbeats, a unique alternative universe based around the Warriors book series by Erin Hunter, home to a vibrant and collaborative community for creative storytelling and roleplaying! To ensure a positive and enjoyable experience for all members, we have established the following rules and guidelines. Please read through them carefully and adhere to these principles to maintain a thriving and respectful environment.
Rules QuickNav
1 - General Roleplay Rules
1.1 Respectful Conduct
At Wingbeats, members are expected to engage in respectful conduct throughout their roleplay interactions. Treat fellow roleplayers with courtesy, embracing diverse perspectives, and maintaining a positive atmosphere. Avoid derogatory language, discriminatory behavior, or any form of harassment (see our rule on Discrimination (3.1) and Harassment (3.2)). Constructive feedback is encouraged, but it should be communicated with tact and consideration (see our rule on Constructive VS Destructive Criticism (6)).
1.2 Inclusive Environment
Wingbeats prioritizes the creation of an inclusive and diverse roleplaying space where members from all backgrounds feel welcomed and respected. Embrace the richness of varied identities, backgrounds, and experiences within our community. Be mindful of cultural sensitivity, avoiding stereotypes or offensive portrayals. Encourage collaborative storytelling that reflects the broad spectrum of perspectives present in our diverse community.
1.3 Language and Communication
In-character (IC) speech should align with the setting and context, using language appropriate for the Warriors world.
Out-of-character (OOC) communication should remain respectful and constructive, fostering a positive community atmosphere.
Clear distinctions between IC and OOC dialogue are encouraged to avoid confusion. Participants are urged to communicate openly and address concerns diplomatically, enhancing the overall collaborative experience.
Clearly distinquish between OOC and IC speech in your posts by using bolded text, separators, or parentheses, or a combination of the three.
Acceptable examples:
OOC: This thread takes place shortly after the resolution of this thread (link).
(This thread takes place shortly after the resolution of this thread (link).)
This thread takes place shortly after the resolution of this thread (link).
Rising moon shivered as the cold wind carried the chilly ocean air through her fur.
(This thread takes place shortly after the resolution of this thread (link).)
Rising moon shivered as the cold wind carried the chilly ocean air through her fur.
2 - Roleplay Conduct
2.1 Post Length, Quality and Format
At Wingbeats, we embrace a diverse community where various roleplay styles are welcomed and encouraged. Whether you prefer intricate storytelling, character-driven narratives, or action-packed scenarios, our forum provides a welcoming space for all creative expressions.
∙ Post Length: Wingbeats allows flexibility in post lengths to cater to different writing styles. Some participants may prefer short, impactful posts, while others may enjoy longer, detailed narratives.
∙ Minimum Post Length: We do, however, have a set minimum post length of 3 sentences or one paragraph, to ensure that each contribution adds substance to the story. Remember: Wingbeats strives for quality of posts over quantity.
∙ Grammar and Spelling: It is important to maintain proper grammar and spelling to maintain readability and overall quality of posts.
∙ Details and Descriptions: We encourage roleplayers to write vivid descriptions, allowing other participants to immerse themselves in the setting and understand character emotions.
∙ Narration and Perspective: To keep things uniform and clean, players should roleplay in a narrative third-person point of view, similar to how the official Warrior Cats books are written.
The brown-and-white tom hissed, then raised his head.
∙ In-Character Speech: All cats' speech should be written with quotations.
"Looks like Hailstar found your Clanmate," he meowed.
∙ In-Character Thoughts and Feelings: Cats can express themselves in more of a first-person perspective through thoughts and feelings by using italics.
Hailstar? Oh, great. We've been rescued by the leader of RiverClan.
2.2 Posting Order and Frequency
To keep our roleplaying experience enjoyable for everyone on Wingbeats, please follow the designated posting order in threads. If User A and User B posted before you, wait for them to post again before you contribute. This ensures a seamless flow and gives all roleplayers a chance to interact.
Additionally, maintain a reasonable post frequency. Don't leave fellow participants waiting for your reply; if you won't be posting for a few days, kindly communicate this to allow others to continue the thread without delay. Let's create a collaborative and considerate roleplaying environment.
2.3 Topic Completion and Avoiding "Time Soup"
As a general rule of thumb, don't bite off more than you can chew. Only join as many topics as you can comfortably and consistently participate in, and post in a timely manner. Participating in too many topics at once can lead to a phenomena called "time soup" - when the timeline of events becomes blurred and confusing to the players involved. To avoid this, do not reference ongoing topics until they are completed. Leniency is allowed when the involved players have a confirmed timeline of events, but this should be done sparingly. You cannot use a topic as a leveling req until it is completed, and to join a topic as a certain rank, you have to have been that rank by the time the topic was opened (so if you are a kit on march 3, and became an apprentice march 7, you cannot join a topic on march 10 an apprentice if it was made on march 5).
2.4 Play Fair
∙ No Metagaming: Metagaming is the use of knowledge that the player is aware of but that the character has not yet learned. Make sure you're roleplaying based on information that your character is aware of.
∙ No God-Modding: God-modding is when a character features god-like abilities, such as invincibility, mind control, or other unrealistic powers that might not fit into the Warriors lore. Another form is when your character does something impossible that could kill them.
∙ No Powergaming: Powergaming is the the act of using a game mechanic, external information, or a roleplay concept to favor a specific character or story and give them an unfair or unrealistic advantage.
∙ No Auto-Playing: Auto is when a player performs an action without giving the affected players a chance to respond to those around him. Dice rolls are essential in activities such as combat, where stats and dice can affect the outcome of any attack or dodge. For example, you cannot type, "Meadowfur makes a swift swipe at Swiftclaw's hind legs and knocks him down," because this does not give Swiftclaw's player a chance to react and possibly dodge the incoming attack.
∙ No Power-Playing: Power-playing occurs when a player operates someone's character without the other player's consent. The most blatant example of this would be a player writing, "Your character falls off the cliff when he walks up to it." Each player is responsible only for the character(s) they are controlling.
∙ Avoid Roleplay Blurring: There must be a clear separation between ‘in character’ (IC) and ‘out of character’ (OOC) behavior and knowledge. If your personal feelings begin to bleed into the roleplay, it is advised that you take a break from the server. If you continue to act based on OOC feelings, beliefs, disagreements or other information in character, especially in a toxic manner, you may be muted for a time, warned, or even banned from the server.
∙ No Mary-Sues or Gary-Stus: A Mary-Sue is a specific kind of character that has a lot of feats, and no flaws. A Mary-Sue is any character who’s too perfect, lacking realistic or logical flaws, or whose flaws do not affect them in any ways; any character who’s far too powerful, especially whose abilities exceed that which is possible for his/her position in the setting of the story, particularly if said character has abilities that do not exist within the boundaries of the story's canon universe.
2.5 Combat and Conflict Resolution
Refer to the Combat System for battle mechanics.
3 - Forum Structure and Organization
3.1 Thread Management and Thread Tags
Members are responsible for organizing and maintaining their threads promptly. Close or mark threads appropriately when they reach their natural conclusion, and keep active threads updated. Consistent thread management ensures a clutter-free and enjoyable roleplaying environment for all participants. The following Thread Tags are ways you can mark your threads appopriately:
[o] - these threads are open for others to join in with their characters.
[c] - these threads are closed, which means they are only for specific characters or they have ended.
[open to (group name)] - these threads are open to any cat in the specified group.
[solo] - indicates a solo post written for one character.
3.2 Starting and Joining Threads
3.3 Activity Checks
4 - Character Interactions
4.1 In-Character Consequences
On Wingbeats it is important to understand that in-character actions undertaken by participants may lead to corresponding consequences involving both their characters and the roleplay world around them. In-character consequences aim to maintain a sense of realism and immersion, reflecting the impact of characters' decisions and behaviors on their surroundings and relationships. They may serve as opportunities for character growth, allowing participants to explore the consequences of their characters' choices and evolve their personalities, motivations, and relationships accordingly. These consequences may encompass various outcomes, including but not limited to:
∙ Positive outcomes, such as rewards, recognition, or advancements for commendable actions. Cats may gain favor with their clanmates, be given special duties such as leading patrols, or even be considered to be promoted to a higher rank.
∙ Negative outcomes, such as setbacks, injuries, conflicts, or reputational damage resulting from poor decisions or antagonistic behavior. Cats may be reprimanded and punished by their leadership, held back from leveling up, be excluded from in-character events, seriously injured, exiled from their groups, or even be killed.
∙ Neutral outcomes, reflecting the natural progression of events or interactions without significant impact on characters' trajectories.
It is crucial that players consider these potential outcomes when making decisions with their characters, but refrain from metagaming or undermining the narrative integrity of the roleplay world. Keep in mind that characters may have the opportunity to mitigate or resolve in-character consequences through subsequent actions, redemption arcs, or collaborative storytelling efforts with other participants.
4.2 Character Death and Saving Throws
Once a character is reduced to 0 HP, they are knocked unconscious (KO'd) and must begin performing Death Saving Throws, or "Death Saves." Death Saves are a mechanic that determines whether a character lives or dies during critical moments when a their life hangs in the balance due to severe injury, lethal conditions, or other life-threatening circumstances.
How to Roll a Death Saving Throw:
wrote:Code: Select all
[dice]1-20[/dice] [dice]1-20[/dice] [dice]1-20[/dice] [dice]1-20[/dice] [dice]1-20[/dice]
∙ Success: 10 or above
Accumulating three successes results in stabilization, with the character regaining 1 HP but remaining in a critical state. They no longer have to perform Death Saves, but will still require further attention through their natural Recovery skill or being healed by a med cat. Depending on the severity of their injuries or conditions, characters may experience lingering effects or require extended recovery periods before fully returning to adventuring.
∙ Failure: 9 or below
Accumulating three failures results in death, signifying the character's inability to cling to life despite their efforts. Characters who fail their Death Saves are permanently dead, and cannot be brought back to life.
Death Saving Throws offer compelling roleplay opportunities for characters and their companions, allowing for dramatic moments of tension, sacrifice, and heroism in the face of mortality. Characters' reactions to their own mortality, as well as their interactions with allies and adversaries during these dire situations, can deepen their personalities and relationships within the roleplay world.
4.3 Consent in Roleplay
∙ Mutual Respect, Consent & Content Warnings: All participants are expected to prioritize mutual respect and obtain consent from others before engaging in roleplay scenarios that involve sensitive or potentially distressing content. Players must provide appropriate content warnings before initiating scenes or discussions that may contain themes such as violence, gore, sexual content, or other potentially triggering topics. Content warnings allow participants to make informed decisions about their involvement in roleplay interactions and to opt out if they are uncomfortable.
∙ Communication and Boundaries: Open communication is essential for establishing and respecting personal boundaries within the community. Participants should feel empowered to express their limits and concerns regarding roleplay content, and roleplay moderators should intervene if consent boundaries are violated.
∙ Consent Violations: Roleplay moderators are responsible for addressing and resolving consent violations promptly and impartially.
Violations may result in corrective actions, such as warnings, temporary suspension of roleplay privileges, or expulsion from the roleplay community, depending on the severity and recurrence of the offense.
5 - Lore and Setting
5.1 Canon Compliance
Wingbeats is set sometime after the events of DOTC: The Sun Trail, in an alternate universe where Stoneteller sends a second group of cats to find the Sun-Drown Place. We uphold strict adherence to the canon lore from the Warriors series wherever possible. This commitment ensures an authentic and immersive roleplay experience where participants respect the source material while contributing creatively within the established framework. Roleplay moderators oversee canon consistency and encourage community collaboration to enrich storytelling cohesion and engagement.
5.2 World-Building
Wingbeats fosters collaborative world-building within the Warriors universe, ensuring consistency with its established lore while encouraging creative contributions from participants. Moderators oversee the integration of new elements, encouraging community feedback and maintaining narrative cohesion for an immersive experience.
5.3 Plotting and Lore Changes
∙ Moderator Approval: Any proposed plots or changes to established lore within the Wingbeats roleplay universe must receive approval from roleplay moderators before implementation. This includes propositions of large-scale plots that may have a significant impact on the roleplay as a whole.
∙ Consideration of Impact: Participants proposing large-scale plots should consider the potential impact on existing narratives, characters, and world-building elements, striving to maintain coherence and continuity within the roleplay world. These events should never interrupt other already-established plots, including sitewides and approved individual player plots.
∙ Consistency with Canon: Plots should align with the overarching themes, tone, and lore of Wingbeats and Warriors, respecting the integrity of the source material while allowing for creative interpretation and expansion.
∙ Community Discussion: Participants are encouraged to engage in open dialogue and community discussion regarding proposed lore changes and plots, soliciting feedback and perspectives from fellow roleplayers to ensure consensus and collaboration.
∙ Transparent Communication: Roleplay moderators facilitate transparent communication throughout the process of lore changes and plot approval, providing rationale, context, and guidelines to participants and addressing any concerns or questions that arise.
∙ Roleplay Integration: Approved plots should be seamlessly integrated into ongoing roleplay narratives, providing opportunities for character development, plot advancement, and world-building expansion. Circling back to Consideration of Impact, these events should never interrupt other already-established plots.
∙ Ongoing Evaluation: Roleplay moderators continuously evaluate the impact and reception of plots, making adjustments as necessary to maintain narrative coherence, player engagement, and overall roleplay quality.
∙ Respect for Canon: While plots allow for creative exploration, participants should respect the essence and spirit of Wingbeats and the Warriors series, avoiding alterations that significantly deviate from established canon or undermine the integrity of the established roleplay universe.