YOUR FRIENDLY HOW TO GUIDE:
[Otherwise known as the FAQ] |
The first thing you should do before you go any further is decide if you are going to create your own character that is based on fairy tales, someone from the real world who just happened to wander into our little woods, or an actual fairy tale character. Whatever you decide, the first thing is first:
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| What sort of characters can I make? |
Any character from fairy tales, books that have a fairy tale feel (think Alice in Wonderland, Inkheart, or others along those lines), original characters inspired from either of those, or original characters from the real world that you just want to have a little fun with. And while there are several versions of some fairy tale characters, we really only want one Snow White. So if you want to play Snow White from "Snow White and Rose Red", and someone else is playing Snow White from "Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs", then 'Snow White' is taken.
You can also play a ghost, a suit of enchanted armor, a talking frog, or another magical creature. However, please try to keep your characters practical.
If you want some ideas for characters try these sites for ideas: Grimm's Fairy Tales, Mother Goose rhymes, and Children's Fairy Tales. |
| Can I give my character a real name, or is he just 'The Thief'? |
All characters should have a name they go by! Even the Pied Piper has an actually name, though no one knows what it is. But if your character is called 'The Thief', give him a name! Call him George, Pete, something! Titles do not count as names.
If your character is 'Rose Red', however, that is her name. So, you wouldn't need one for her. |
| How does a character come to be in the village? |
Everyone that has come to the village has been called there. They often are in a forest or wood when they hear a song being played on a pipe. Curious and finding themselves drawn to it, they follow the music until they come to a fork in a path where a man dressed in many colors is waiting. The Pied Piper. He then asks everyone the same question, "are you good or are you bad?"
The answer doesn't matter much, though people sometimes will ask you at random. Think of it as a reoccurring motif. |
| Why does everything seem rather whimsical, even almost ridiculous? |
| The simple fact of the matter is that the whimsical, nearly completely ridiculous nature of fairy tales has been carried over into the game. The oddball comments, such as those about Sigfred's socks, and Max's sign give players a feel for the sort of slightly off-kilter environment their characters are in. And mostly it's just simply fun. |
| What is a Supreme Talent, and is that the only magic? |
Brilliant question! The answer is that The Village, and pretty much the whole forest is magic in and of itself. The Supreme Talent is something along the lines of a gift, sort of like Piers Anthony’s Xanth novels. Everyone has one thing they can do that no one else can do. There may be very similar talents, but none are completely the same.
That said, the idea isn’t always to be the strongest, but sometimes just to be funny! I like humor, particularly in the worst possible situations. There is a post of suggested Talents, and you are always welcome to use one of them. However, we do ask that if you take a talent, that you suggest a new one to replace it. |
| How do I know what Talents are already taken? |
| There is a list! We like lists, as it keeps us all up to date. Simple, isn’t it? Here is the List. |
| If my character is a witch, is her only magic still just the Talent? |
| Witches are the one group of characters that do not have a unique talent. Instead they have a particular specialization. What this means is that a witch can make several moderate to low level potions, and one major potion (players choice on what it is, within reason). Or, if you don't want to make potions, they can be fortune tellers, or know certain spells in a specialized field (Earth/Fire/Wind/Water magic). However, in order to keep things fair for the rest of the community, witches are asked to keep the strength of their spells to a moderate or low level (the same goes for potions. As Fortune Telling is less varied branch, we simply ask that you clearly define how accurate he/she is at predicting the future.) No witch may know more than one major spell/potion. |
| Why do I have to pick Good or Bad, and what does that even mean? |
The original fairy tales were not the stories Disney told us growing up. Most of them involved murder, darkness, and other unlikely, unwelcome events. The idea behind the “Good” and “Bad” is to just set up what side of the fence your character sits. Think of it as choosing to play a ‘protagonist’ or an ‘antagonist’.
If you aren’t sure which to choose yet, and want to play your character for a little while, that is okay too. Some characters are always going to be playing both sides. It is about what you think would be fun to explore.
Keep in mind that the only people that know what you choose is your character, The Piper, and you. Technically, your character can even lie. No one is going to compel them to actually tell the truth, nor is anyone walking about going "you are one of the bad/good people". However, it is important that you, the player, know. This is something the the mods will later use when it comes to building game-wide plots. Characters may be assigned roles based on what you put on the application. |
| Where does my character live? |
| Characters can live in the Piper’s Castle or one of the inns if they choose. However, they may also have their own homes or shops built and stay there. The important thing to remember is that nothing of the modern world is really present, so homes are pretty basic and made of wood (or gingerbread!). Think…wooden cabins from summer camp, only we allow you to have more than one room here. Regardless of if your character is good or bad, they may live in the village, castle, or some other place. That is really up to you. |
| What is the economy like? |
| Barter! There is no currency as such in The Village. Yeah, you sometimes get the random gold coins and the like, but most things are an item for an item. Or a favor for an item. It all just depends on what your character has to offer. |
| How big is The Village? |
| The Village is of moderate size, made of up a number of homes and shops. There are probably a couple of hundred people in the village itself. That doesn’t include everyone else outside the village. But there are a few farms, and skill-workers of all sorts that run the village. In a lot of ways, despite a lot of oddness, it is just like stepping back in time. |
| What is Handel's Tears, and how far away is it from The Village? |
| Handel's Tears is about a twenty minute walk from The Village. Shocking, isn't it? In reality it is still a part of the village, but the shadier side of things. It is far enough to not be noticeable, but close enough that you could go and come back in less than a day. Some of the not so respectable people live in this area, as well as people that just don't want to be a part of the hustle of The Village. |
| Are any of the rumors floating around the game true? |
| Well that is really something you get to figure out as you play! It makes things more fun if characters have mysterious things to investigate; like, is the Piper good or bad? Or why is he even the ‘leader’? As a moderator I am happy to help come up with these little things; however, I would like to note that I am not a GM. I won’t write a whole plot for you. Try talking to your fellow players to come up with interesting things to do! |
| Is the Wishing Well a character? |
| Sort of! The Wishing Well is a mod-run character that Player Characters (PCs) may interact with. The Wishing Well is a rather interesting character that sometimes takes vacations, sometimes throws the pence back, and might actually just be someone down at the bottom. No one really knows, which is part of the fun. |
| What is up with the "Gingerbread Children"? |
The Gingerbread Children are basically a bunch of large cookies that populate the Gingerbread Field. Locals say that the children sometimes move, and that every once in a while another one appears. However, very little is actually known about them. Save, of course, that whatever they are, it is the work of one of the Witches.
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| OOC FAQs |
| Where do I go if I have a problem with another player? |
If you have a problem with a player, your first step should be to try to work it out without involving a moderator. However, if the problem needs a moderator's attention by IMing them (if you are presently in the game), or you can email the mod at Black.forest.mod [at] gmail [dot] com. Try to be specific as to what the problem is, so that the mod can address it completely and without having to do too much clarifying.
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| Is there anything in particular that I need to do when I post? |
It would be good for everyone to have a uniform way of posting. Plus, if we add a few key things to the top, people know if their characters are in a place to interact with them.
Please include:
WHO:
WHERE:
WHEN:
WARNINGS:
You know…basic stuff.
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| Can I add things to the village, like my own shop and such? |
This game is, for all intents and purposes, a freeform game. If you can think it up, it is probably ok to do. However, if you really question it, just ask a mod. I promise they don’t bite.
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| How do I get in on plots? |
Talking is always the best way to get into things. IMing other players, or poking the OOC community are among the best ways of doing this. Do not be afraid to just jump into Open posts, too. I encourage interaction, well and truly. And emailing players is always an option. The mods will also run game wide plots from time to time, and you will receive PMs/emails with instructions for your characters role.
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| Do you have a question that isn’t listed? Ask below and a mod will get back to you. Thanks! |
