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Nerd

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Introductions


My name is J, but my moniker on Gaia is, obviously, Dischord. I first wrote this guide ten years ago, and seeing as it's still getting bumps and promotions, I decided to overhaul and phrasing, and tidy it up a bit. I wrote this guide with the purpose of helping other people become better at role-play, for themselves, and for the benefit of those they play with. Role-playing is a very inclusive hobby that is shared by thousands of people all across the world, in a creative community full of bright minds and amazing imaginations.

I was 23 when I wrote this, and ten years of experience have given me a better perception, both of myself and of those around me. I've been RPing since I was 11, and that's a cumulative twenty-two years experience I draw from. When I first started out, my RP was pretty sub-par, and I was fairly Mary-Sueish, but that's pretty expected when a younger individual role-plays and is still learning grammar and writing in school. You won't see any RPers that age on Gaia, but they do exist, and those are the types of people we need to encourage most - get them reading, get them writing, get them storytelling.

I'm still very much a geek. I was never into sports, and was more keenly into computers and computer games. That hasn't changed. I've played things like Morrowind, Final Fantasy, Neverwinter Nights, Ragnarok Online, and several of the current market MMO games. I've RP'd on forums, in chat rooms, in MMO's, and across the tabletop from my fellow players. I'm a player and a DM in tabletop D&D (Dungeons & Dragons), Pathfinder, and d20 Star Wars. Basically, gaming and RP is my full time hobby.

Why write this guide?

Well, I figured so many other people have done it, why the hell not? No, seriously, after reading over a good number of role-plays, and spending the next few hours afterward wanting to bang my head on my desk and gouge my eyes out of my sockets so I can bleach them clean, I decided to throw this little piece of work together. If you want to read further than this point, please, feel free to do so, I won't be the least bit upset. If not, and you want to call me a dumbass, feel free to do that too, I know how to ignore you just as well as the next guy. :3

Flames are welcome, compliments are welcome, bumps are welcome, hell, whatever you want to leave is welcome. Everything I've written here has been written by hand, and I'd appreciate it if you don't out and out steal my hard work. If you'd like your own 'How to Role-play Guide', write it. If you want to link to it, from off Gaia, let me know, and I'll make a HTML based version webpage for you to link up to, instead of just the Gaia thread. Honestly, I don't mind people linking away to my written work. Just let me know you like it, ne?

Disclaimer: All written samples of role-play, and the characters contained within are the sole intellectual property of their owners. Anything I've used here, has been used with permission; kindly attempt to do the same if you're going to gank samples for a guide of your own. I always quote a sample with the name of it's writer, all writers can be found here on Gaia Online.

Updates


12.15.15 // I realized that this was still being bumped and referred to, and so I decided to overhaul it again. I've got seven more years experience in the subject, and I decided I wanted to let the guide reflect the things I've learned, and the fact that I'm, well, less of a jerk about the subject now.

02.24.07 // I finally decided to do a complete and utter overhaul on this thing. So far, I've got a few good ideas under my belt, I just need to get everything written up. I'll be doing things one section at a time, so expect updates to be sporadic, please.

02.23.06 // After being asked repeatedly, I've started work on a guide for Sues/Stus section. It will be updated as frequently as I get a section done.

06.06.05 // Added the Magic: Limits & Uses section. Currently working on the Extensive Weapon Guide, still. Also, attempting to have the thread stickied. Here's to hoping. Updated the credits page, am looking for more volunteers to become literate role-player teachers. Read the form below, and PM me with details, and a RP sample, if interested.

06.04.05 // Finally got the guide finished, and posted. Planning on doing updates on the weapons sections, and getting that devoted weapons post done.

Table of Contents

Section One

• Role-player Classification
• Role-Playing Examples
• Grammar & Tense

Section Two

• Role-Play Fighting
• Fighting Examples
• Weapons: Myth & Fact

Section Three

• Races & Character Types
• Genre & Threads
• Extensive Weapon Guide

Section Four

• Magic: Limits & Uses
• Question & Answer
• Conclusion & Credits

Section Five

• Reserved For Later Use



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Want to link to us? No problem. My host is photobucket.com, so my bandwidth isn't super limited. I will provide the banners on an alternate host, should my bandwidth go kaput on me.

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Nerd

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Section One


Role-player Classification


A lot of role-players, or those who could potentially be good role-players I tend to lump together into one of three categories.

1.) Polished Players
This group is comprised of those who have been playing a while and put forth their best effort into everything they do when they RP. These people are the most fun to play with as a whole. Polished players have a good grasp on grammar, and excel at interactive storytelling.

2.) Polished, But Lazy
This group includes those who might be part of group one, if they could be motivated to put forward more effort in their posts. A lot of people who have been RPing a long time tend to fall into this group, as do people who only sometimes RP.

3.) Unpolished Players
This group includes those who have been taught previously by an unskilled individual, those who are struggling with grammar and spelling, and those who are very new to RP and still learning how it works.

Most people will start in group two, especially when they've been RPing a number of years. Maybe they’ve become more lax, or the hobby isn’t as fun to them anymore. Maybe they just don’t have motivation at the time. A little extra nudge, giving them a good reason to put more effort into what they do, and group two tends to launch itself back into group one.

I myself was part of this group for a number of years, preferring to not exert too much effort in my play. My husband and I met through RP, and he encouraged me to put forth my best effort, and thanks to that encouragement, I've gotten better over the years. I’d class myself as a polished player, as when I play, I try and make the RP as enjoyable as possible not just for myself, but also for the people I’m interacting with.

Then, you have group three. This is the group that tends to give you the most amount of difficulty. They either refuse to admit that their grammar isn't up to snuff and that their posts could use more quality content, or they defend the fact that they can role-play in that manner if they want to, despite the fact that they get very little play. They later whine about this lack of play as well.

Now, no one likes to be told they're a bad RPer, and no one likes to think of themselves as bad, and I'm not encouraging anyone to think they're bad. It’s why I use the system of ranking I do – I prefer to think of people as 'polished' or 'unpolished', kind of like gemstones. The polished gemstones are prettier to look at, and that's what most people want their jewelry made out of. Every unpolished player has the chance to become a polished player, hands down. But it takes a willingness to change that most people simply don't have.

Role-Playing Examples


There are generally two different types of role-playing. The polished type, and the unpolished type. Lets deal with the unpolished type first.

Sample RP Post #1
*wonders in and looks arond*


Sample RP Post #2
*She wandered in, looking around at her surroundings.*


Despite the fact that the second type is more detailed, its still a little short, and leaves room for improvement. This is what our third category of role-players tends to do. And while it’s an improvement over the grammatically unfit, and generally smashed together first post, it could be better.

Let’s move on to another example.

Sample RP Post #1
*Walks in from outside, shaking her head as she pushed the door open. Man, it was cold out there.*


Now, while the above post is much better than some of the previous posts we've seen, let’s try that one more time, with feeling, and with some more detail. I'll let you be the judge of which you'd prefer to read.

Sample RP Post #2
Booted feet found stable footing on the icy stairs as she moved up them. It had been cold for a few days and was getting colder. The weather service predicted the ice wouldn't be melting for quite some time. With a soft grumble she shook her head, snow falling free from black hair to splatter upon her jacketed shoulders, and the ground beneath her. One hand gripped the door, and giving it a shove, she moved inside.

"Mom, I'm home!", her voice echoed through the mostly empty house. In the living room, the television blared some mid-day talk show, and she wrinkled her nose. God, Oprah again?


Now, as you can see, the second post gives more detail, and lets you have some idea of the girl, and her surroundings. The girl is obviously wearing a jacket, and boots, she lives with her mother, who seems to like Talk Shows. In addition, we've learned that it has been icy where she lives for several days, and will continue to be for quite a while. This gives us some hint that the role-play is taking place during the winter season.

Small details like this can help further a story. They also help give the people you're role-playing with some idea about what's going on around you, and in the same token, what's going on around them. With detail like what's been seen above, you have some ideas about where you can take the role-play, depending on if you're going to interact with that character or not. Even if not, you know more about the weather, and can make your own character react accordingly.

Detail is a wonderful thing to use, but you have to be careful, or you'll use too much. Details should be generalized. Meaning, don't explain just how your character opened the door, using an entire paragraph to do so. Instead, incorporate that paragraph into a larger post, maybe cutting it down to just a sentence. Detail is good, but too much detail can cause the people you're role-playing with to get bored. It’s good to moderate yourself, and how much detail you use. Don't worry, this will get easier to determine as you become a better role-player.

Improvement happens over time, not over-night. If you still lack in your skills a little, keep trying to improve them. And don't get discouraged, or allow others to discourage you. You role-play for you, and you alone, and while the input from others can be important, you should never let someone shame you for your RP as you’re trying to improve. Sometimes, just letting someone know that you’re newer, or still learning, is a good way to coach patience from them.

Some people attempt to be very gentle when they role-play. Or 'soft' in their actions and behavior. Not everything can be soft, and gentle and warm and fuzzy. That's impossible. When you write, attempt to visualize in your head how something will occur. Then, try to write from that visualization. I think you'll find that your post tends to make much more sense than it did before.

Grammar & Tense


At this point, you usually lose a lot of people. Grammar and tense can actually mean the difference between your role-play being perfectly understandable, or, it reading as if a five year old wrote it. (Though in some cases, I think some five year olds could write better, but that's neither here nor there.)

Tense

Past: She had walked from the room just a moment before, headed for the kitchen.

Present: She turned, walking from the room towards the kitchen.

As you can see when you read the two, Past tense is used to denote actions that have happened. A good number of books are written in this tense, making them pleasing upon the eyes, and easy to follow. You understand it as having happened before, reading the events second hand after they’ve happened.

Now, with present tense, you'll find this to be one of the more popular role-playing styles. Present tense is used in a great number of role-plays all across Gaia, indicating that something is happening at that very moment. This is actually preferred for most role-plays, depending on how literate someone does, or doesn't want their role-play to be. Past, nor present tense neither one are bad. The problem comes when people mix tenses. This can make a sentence appear broken, and more difficult to read.

Mixed Tense: She turns off the television, before she left the room.

Now, as you can tell, this is a pretty basic example, and reading it too many times can cause one's head to hurt (it gave me a headache just trying to write it). It’s generally better to pick one tense, and teach yourself to write in that tense first. Then, if you want to, attempt to learn to use the other tense. But be careful not to mix the two when writing, as this can create confusion, especially in combat or conflict RPs.

Grammar

Grammar is the second most griped over thing in all of role-play history. So and so spelled this wrong, you used too many commas, that word is supposed to be capitalized, and so forth. This is one of the fastest thread-killing subjects to ever come up in discussion. Grammar is something that should be looked at seriously, but at the same time, not obsessed over. Typos, misuse of commas, and sentences that are too long can be avoided fairly easily. When you write a post, stop, re-read it, make sure you've spell checked it, then submit your post. Trust me, your fellow role-players will thank you.

Words & Definitions

The following subsection is going to cover nothing but words, and their various uses, and misuses. Even some seasoned role-players are guilty of these mix-ups, so don't automatically call someone a n00b for using them improperly. I'm even guilty of misuse, though usually only when sleep deprived.

Please note that some of the following definitions were taken from www.m-w.com, as well as www.thefreedictionary.com (all with slight editing), and the some of the examples of use were written by me. With luck, reading the following will help give you some idea of how these words should be properly used.

Their/They're/There

Main Entry: their
Function: adjective
of or relating to them or themselves especially as possessors, agents, or objects of an action
<their furniture> <their verses> <their being seen>

Main Entry: they're
Function: contraction of they are
<they're going to be gone a while> <they're almost finished with construction> <they're going to be late>

Main Entry: there
Function: adverb
1 : in or at that place <stand over there> -- often used interjectionally
2 : to or into that place : <went there after church>
3 : at that point or stage <stop right there before you say something you'll regret>
4 : in that matter, respect, or relation <there is where I disagree with you>
5 -- used interjectionally to express satisfaction, approval, encouragement or sympathy, or defiance <there, it's finished>

Your/You're

Main Entry: your
Function: adjective - The possessive form of you.
1. Used as a modifier before a noun: <your boots> <your accomplishments.>
2. A person's; one's: <The light switch is on your right.>
3. Informal Used with little or no sense of possession to indicate a type familiar to the listener: <your basic three-story frame house.>

Main Entry: you're
Function: contraction of you are
<you're missing a button> <you're late again> <you're a really good person>

Then/Than

Main Entry: then
Function: adverb
1. At that time: <I was still in school then.> <Come at noon; I'll be ready then.>
2. Next in time, space, or order; immediately afterward: <watched the late movie and then went to bed.>
3. In addition; moreover; besides: <It costs $20, and then there's the sales tax to pay.>
4. Used after but to qualify or balance a preceding statement: <The star was nervous, but then who isn't on the first night of a new play.>
5. In that case; accordingly: <If traffic is heavy, then allow extra time.>
6. As a consequence; therefore: <The case, then, is closed.>

Main Entry: than (n, n)
Function: conjunction
1. Used after a comparative adjective or adverb to introduce the second element or clause of an unequal comparison: <She is a better athlete than I.>
2. Used to introduce the second element after certain words indicating difference: <He draws quite differently than she does.>
3. When. Used especially after hardly and scarcely: <I had scarcely walked in the door than the commotion started.>

To/Too

Main Entry: to (for the rest of this entry, follow this link if you'd like.)
Function: preposition
1.
a. In a direction toward so as to reach: <went to the city.>
b. Towards: <turned to me.>
2.
a. Reaching as far as: <The ocean water was clear all the way to the bottom.>
b. To the extent or degree of: <loved him to distraction.>
c. With the resultant condition of: <nursed her back to health.>

Main Entry: too
Function: adverb
1. In addition; also: <He's coming along too.>
2. More than enough; excessively: <She worries too much.>
3. To a regrettable degree: <My error was all too apparent.>
4. Very; extremely; immensely: <He's only too willing to be of service.>
5. Informal Indeed; so: <You will too do it!>

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Section Two


Role-Play Fighting


Role-play fighting has to be one of the second most popular activities I've ever seen. Everyone wants to fight everyone else. And they do. They fight, and they fight, and they fight, but the problem is most people fight badly. Its always difficult to explain fighting, so I'll start off with the basic rules, and go from there.

First Rule of Role-Play Fighting - We don't talk about role-play fighting. (Fight Club reference thanks to my nosy husband, I love you 'Dox.) XD

Alright, on to the more serious stuff now. Things that you should look out for, in others characters, and in your own. Things that we all tend to do at some point or another, and things that generally make other role-players want to yell at you.

1.) Godmodding, Twinking, or Invincibility.

Now, Godmodding can be summed up simply as attempting to play a character that is godlike. Godlike characters are those that cannot be hurt by normal weapons, always take very little, or no damage, and immediately seem to be 'invincible' against any form of attack you throw at them. This is the worst kind of character to fight against. In more advanced role-play groups, we refer to them as 'Twinks'.

Now, to twink, going along with the lines of godmodding, is to give your character a power they did not previously possess, in order to cope with a current situation. Giving a character powers of teleportation, rapid movement, or sudden invulnerability to an element, if they did not previously possess this ability.

Another sign of a godmodder is the possession of an ability that is so strong it seems godly, or is capable of taking out someone in a single strike. The best example of an anime with this quality is Dragon Ball Z. Keep in mind that DBZ was designed to be this way though. Not all DBZ role-plays require that level of power, though many players seem to use them to that effect.

The final sign of a godmodder is their inability to recognize that they have been somehow damaged. Players losing limbs, but acting as if they still have them, and in perfect condition, for the rest of the fight. Barriers that are impossible to penetrate, some form of instant resurrection (Final Fantasy is excluded from this, because of the Phoenix Down), or the ability to bring themselves back to life from things such as soul-draining, soul enslavement, their spirit being devoured by some other life form, or in some other form losing anything that would give their body the ability to move once returned to life.

2.) The Puppet, and the Puppet Master

By 'puppet master', we refer to the practice of taking control of your opponents character, and forcing them to take a certain action.

Example: The man dodged to the side, as his opponent moved forward to lash out at him with his blade. A skillful leap to the side, and they turned to one another, preparing to attack again.

Now, the man can easily enough dodge the attack, but the part that makes this a no-no for fighting, is this sentence right here.

his opponent moved forward to lash out at him with his blade

Unless the two fighting agreed before hand, that it could be included in the post, this is considered attempting to puppeteer a character. This is a commonly used mistake, both in fighting, and in normal role-play. Don't force actions on someone else's character. They play their character, not you.

3.) Strength, Weakness, and Limits

A lot of characters tend to have an impossible, or improbable weakness, or worse, they have no weakness at all. You have to know the limits of your character before you ever get into a fight. If you have to question yourself, you need to write your character history again, so everything is outlined in a way that you, and others understand. Don't allow for loopholes in your own weaknesses. Try and make them things that seem plausible. Plausibility and reality are what a lot of people look for, yes, even in fantasy role-plays, when looking for a fight.

No one wants to fight a character without some kind of weakness. Even the impossibly overpowered Dragon Ball Z fighters could get tired after a while. They wore down, and reached a level of exhaustion that cost many of them their lives. The exception for this is Goku because, well, Goku was the hero of the series. And even he died repeatedly.

To learn to balance your character, I've come up with a simple series of questions.

1.) If your character can fly, do they tire after long periods of flight?
2.) Does your character suffer their immense strength by being clumsy, or sluggish when they move?
3.) If your character uses energy, do they eventually wear down, or run out of power?
4.) Does your character have a distance limit on their teleportation? Or a limit of how many times a day they can do it?
5.) Do your characters arms grow tired after too many punches? Legs tired after too many kicks?

If you couldn't answer no to any of the above characters, chances are your character has no limits, and is what we refer to as a twink. Now, before you get angry, and start yelling at your computer screen that, 'but my character has a weakness, its so and so (for example, we'll use.. that they fawn over pretty girls and get totally distracted).. This has absolutely no bearing on a fight.

Even if distracted, can your character continue fighting? If so, that doesn't make it a weakness. A weakness is something that gives others an opportunity to fight fairly with your character. Giving them limitless power, the inability to tire, and other such things typically mean you need to rethink the way your character is written. At the same time, don't under power your character. Don't give them all weakness, and no strength. Unless that's honestly the kind of character you prefer to play. But these characters usually lose fights, so be forewarned.

4.) Damage, and reactions to it

This is something that a great number of good role-players, along with bad ones, have been guilty of doing. They take some type of damage, and then immediate use some move that would make their wound worse, without acknowledging the fact that it happened.

If you take multiple slices to the gut, you won't be bending, rolling, jumping, or leaping, because its likely that all of those cuts, followed by rigorous movement will cause your intestines to become visible without an x-ray machine. Meaning they'll end up all over the ground.

The same can be said of any wound. Some of them are lethal, and should be acknowledged as such. Obviously, certain races will end up immune to certain wounds, but that isn't always the case.

More about races, immunity, and limitations about them will be covered in section three. Just always keep in mind that you aren't invincible. No one is. Keep that in mind and you will soon become a fair, and balanced fighter, as well as a fair and balanced role-player.

Fighting Examples


I decided to set myself up as the bad role-player for this one. The second sample post was been written for this guide by my friend, Chris Ganale. The point of these posts are to give people a good idea of how fighting should or should not look. This is not to say you need to copy exactly what is written here, but try and picture what you're doing, when you write your post. Its like writing a book inside your head. Only, this time, its an action novel. The best way to deal with fighting, is to take your time. If people complain about how long it takes you, tell them to find a different opponent. You should never give up your writing skill just because someone is impatient.

At the same time, try not to be impatient with others. Its all about give and take.

Fighting Sample Post #1
The clones rushed through the city and towards the square. Blaster fire went everywhere and pegged some of the guys in the chest. When the clones and droids got face to face, they blasted one another with their guns.


Okay, now, obviously that was kind of rushed, and leaves everyone going 'wtf is happening here?', so, lets try again, and see how this works with detail, effort, and keeping in mind what's happening.

Fighting Sample Post #2
The battalion of clones rushed through the city at a rapid pace toward the battle raging in the central square. Already, they could hear the heavy blaster fire coming from that direction, as well as the sound of droids exploding and the screams of their dying brethren. Their own footsteps against the permacrete ground blended together into a single rhythmic roar, two dozen of the Republic Army's finest soldiers, a cognitive and well-oiled machine of war ready to descend on the Separatist forces.

Then, as they rounded a corner on the last street heading directly for the square, fate decided to intervene. Directly before them waited forty battle droids, nearly twice their own number. The two groups noticed each other at the exact same moment, all sixty warriors shocked for a split second at the sudden appearance of their enemy.

It didn't last.

"Open fire!" cried the clone commander.

"There they are!" shouted a droid.

"Fire! Fire!" came another's call.

Chaos immediately erupted as over a hundred blaster bolts rang out on the side street, filling the air with the acrid scent of ozone burn. This smell was quickly joined by that of charred flesh as one, two, four clone troopers screamed as their bodies intercepted the red bolts of the droids, the impacts lifting them bodily and throwing them back to the ground.

An EMP grenade landed in a cluster of battle droids, sending two of the alert droids scattering before the burst detonated, immediately shutting down the other three droids in the blast radius. A fourth droid just barely caught the edge of the EMP burst, and its entire right side shut down, sending it whirling down to the permacrete where it struggled to crawl forward and still fire at the clones.

The advantage ultimately laid with the clones. They had reacted more quickly than the droids to the sudden encounter, and were steadily pressing forward, leaving a trail of destroyed droids and their own dead comrades in their wake. The clones' commander stopped before the crawling droid, looked down at it, and brought his heavy plastoid composite boot down onto its head, crushing the metal shell and the circuitry within. Then he lifted his DC-15 blaster carbine, fired three shots into the face of a super battle droid, and continued to lead his men forward.


Much better, right? You can follow the post all the way through, and know exactly what's going on. Its easy to see who is attacking who, and what is happening during the fight. I'll put up a second sample later, showing a one on one fight. If anyone wants to volunteer to write said posts, please, PM me, and I'll see if it works well enough for the guide. Credits will be given, of course. <3

Weapons: Myth & Fact


Weapon. So you're planning on fighting, or, just on making your character, and you're debating on a weapon to use. The first thing that comes to everyone's mind is one of two primary stereotypes.

1.) Katana

2.) Desert Eagle

For whatever reason, these are the two most overused weapons in all of role-playing history. There are a multitude of other weapon styles out there. A little bit of research at www.google.com will reveal a good number of other various weapons that you can use. For this section, I will probably post several links later, after I work up a post for all of the various weapon types. Why a full page for it? because trust me, there are a lot of them.

Now, on to the rest of this guide. People automatically assume that a character can instantly switch from one weapon to another. If you have a specific weapon in your hand, and you switched to another one, you need to specify in your post if you dropped it. Or sheathed it, or simply layed it down. Why? So you know where this weapon is if you decide to pick it back up later.

In addition to the 'vanishing weapon' trick, we also see the 'weapon from nowhere' trick. Weapons have a weight, and too much weight on a character can cause the character to become sluggish, or move ackwardly. No, 'I have super human strength', is not a good excuse to carry multiple weapons.

Weapons have a specific size, and weight. You have to keep this in mind when you wear them. A plausible combination.

A sword at your hip, potentially even two swords, a staff across your back, and maybe some sort of other, smaller, light weapon attached to your other hip, or in your hand.

An impossible combination.

A sword at your hip, potentially even two swords, a staff across your back, a light weapon attached to your other hip, along with two more swords, a larger, more massive sword strapped to your back overtop of the staff, a shield on your arm, two full belts of throwing daggers..

Do I need to continue? By now you've got so many weapons on you, that you've become a walking arsenal, yes, but a very slow moving one, because of all of the junk you've managed to pile up on your body. More weapons does not equal a better fighter.

In addition, if you're going to use a specific weapon, study it a little. Study how its used, and things about it. Knowing more about the weapon you're going to use will help you better visualize yourself in combat. This will help in a number of different ways, including helping you keep your character alive, and how to land lethal, and non-lethal blows with the weapon you decide to use.

More will be added to this section a little later, but I want to do a little more research into various weapons, before I try to explain them. Also, for more information, check the Extensive Weapon Guide below, once its completed.

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Section Three


Races & Character Types


Races

There are a lot of various races. A good number of them are overused, unfortunately. First we'll start with a list of races that are over used, and that should be used only if you're being careful about how you're playing them.

Vampire, Werewolf, Kitsune, Neko, Demon, Angel, Half demon/angel/cat/vampire/human/etc. Now, this last thing I have seen a lot of on Gaia, and while its considered to be 'fun', its overpowered, overused, and massively badly played.

The thing that makes this last combination so bad, is the fact that half, and half, is a whole. Meaning you can be half one thing, half another thing, but only two halves of anything. You can be quarters of something, even thirds, but not more than two halves. Also, keep in mind that when your blood becomes that stretched, you lose power. You can't be part demon/angel/cat/vampire/kitsune/human, and expect to have the full powers of any of the above group. Whatever group is most dominant, will determine the abilities you have. You can't have full demonic powers, and have angelic wings, and a kitsune tail.

There are certain race combinations which should also be avoided as they are over-used, and badly played.

Angel/Demon. Cat/Vampire. Demon/Werewolf. These are just to name a few. There are a few more, and I'm hoping by now you're starting to see why said combinations make no sense.

Type

There are more character types than I can possibly list here. Look at any anime, read any book, and you see a character type. Some of the most over-used though, are the wandering swordsman (very popular for anyone in any type of early era Japan role-play), or, the dominating, sword swinging female (very popular for almost every type of role-play)

I understand that all of these various character types are very popular, and we all would like to play them, but please. Don't you think that some of these are far too over done? If the world was filled with nothing but these types, where would be the villages for them to stay in? The farmers, the gentle wives. It takes all types of characters to make a role-play. You can't always play the hero. You can't always play the villain. A character needs more than just the good guy, and the bad guy, to make it good. Sometimes, it needs those grey area characters, the ones that get little recognition, but can make a role-play really good.

A lot of disputes over character type also fall into the argument about their background history. There are several histories that have been played to death.

I was orphaned and my parents were killed in some vile way, making me want revenge.
I was abandoned when I was young, and turned into this horrible monster.
I was abused and mistreated and became a vicious bitter person.

Now, I realize that all of these give your character some kind of depth, but they also give your character a hint of, prepare for it, wangst. Wangst is the term used for an overly wangsty character. Angst is fine. Everyone has problems, and issues, no matter how large, or how small, that they might worry over. But wangst is when you have problems in excess, and your character is nothing but a massive walking ball of depression.

While this might seem fun to you, ten to one says that the other people you are role-playing with will likely get very tired of it, very quickly. If you believe at any point that your character can't possibly go on without this horribly depressing back story, maybe you need to rethink your character. Now, this is not to say that every overly depressing character is wangsty. There are some people I have seen that have made depressing characters, and been wonderful at playing them out. Because they know how to balance their characters depression, along with their more positive moments.

Another character type over played, would be any character with a mental illness. Please, I am begging you. Before you play any type of mental illness in your character, will you go to www.google.com, and look it up? I know, role-play involving research, that probably kills it right there for you, but if you are going to play out something that debilitating to your character, wouldn't you rather know all of the side effects? Reading up can teach you some pretty interesting stuff, and who knows, you might learn something you can use later, out of role-play. There is never a good excuse for playing a symptom badly, not with all of the resources out there for learning about sickness.

Good Guy vs Bad Guy

Its the age old story, about the good guys, versus the bad guys, out to see who can win the massive war first. Please keep in mind that not everyone can be the good guy. Not everyone can be the bad guy. It takes a good mix of both. Not every villain has to be extremely destructive. Not every good guy has to be chipper and have a positive outlook. That is why there are things like the Anti-Hero. That's why there are villains like Naraku. That's why there is a world of possibility out there, just waiting to be captured. I won't be extending this little section unless asked to, however.

Genre & Threads


Scenery and genre can make, or break a role-play. This entire subsection will cover threads, the scenery, and genre you use in a role-play.

Genre

So, you're about to create a thread for a role-play, and you want to make it something good that will draw others attention. A lot of players will tell you they don't want to have to read to role-play. These are the types of players that you do not want in your role-play anyway, because they're usually the ones that are either very illiterate, or will abandon you, or the thread mid-game. Either way, they aren't a positive influence in your role-play. Any gamer worth their salt will stop, and take the time to read the rules, guidelines, backstory, and scenery.

There are some obvious types of role-plays to avoid making, such as slavery role-plays (for these, always make sure 'sexual' anything isn't included, because likely someone will take someone to PM, cyber, and break the TOS. And the last thing you need as a thread creator, is to be banned because someone else was being stupid in your thread), strip clubs, bars (for the simple fact of their over-use, anything involving malls, and most things involving schools. Unless its a specific school from an anime/comic/game/book, and you're planning on laying down certain limits, you will meet with a good number of morons in your threads.

So, you've decided on a genre, and you want to make a thread. Okay, here's a basic format for you to cover. In your first post, you will want to list.

Rules (This is basic. What you will, and won't allow in your role-play. No matter what kind of role-play you are hosting/starting, every set of rules threads should contain the fact that all rules of Gaia are to be obeyed first and foremost.)

Characters (Character, be they canon, or not, and if you allow original characters, a small profile for others to follow. Profile should include character name, age, height, hair color, eye color, personality, appearance, and a short history. Or a long history, depending on your preference. Also, you can require a role-play sample, if you want to be really specific on who/what you do and don't let into your role-play.)

Backstory (The backstory for your role-play, or, the reason that all of said characters have come together, for whatever reason or another. This should be detailed, and should include anything that will become a key element later. If you want to be positive someone reads your backstory, make it a point that when they submit their profile, they attach some word you planted in the backstory, to make certain they read and understand everything you've written so far. This way, you can ensure they read, and if they don't follow with the backstory, you have a good reason to boot them out of your role-play, for twinking, or changing things mid-stream on you.)

Current Time Period (What season is it? What time is it? What month? What year? All of this is important. In some role-plays, usually anime, or fantasy, is implied what era you're playing in, but season, and time are generals that can be used. After all, in a role-play supposedly based in the winter, you don't want people walking around in nothing but shorts and a bikini top. They'd freeze their sensitive bits off in that kind of attire.)

Okay, so we've got that covered? Good! Because the same things you should keep in mind when making a role-play are also things you should look for when trying to find a good thread to role-play in. The more detailed a thread is, usually, the longer it will last. At least, the longer it will last among literate role-players, and isn't that what you're attempting to become? I hope so.

Extensive Weapon Guide


This section is under construction, and will take a while to work up. I will have it done some time in the near future. (Within the next week, if I'm lucky.)

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Section Four


Magic: Limits & Uses


Welcome, welcome. Upon a proof-read of my Role-Playing guide, I realized I had left out one of the most essential parts of any role-playing guide. Usage of magic. Now, magic can come in many forms. Magic does not always need to be a dominantly used force. Magic can be latent, or magic can be used via an item, weapon, or some form of object, or focus. A good number of people who use magic, do so without discrimination. Now, what I mean by this is not necessarily that they use it badly, merely that they use it without limit. Now, for an example, in AD&D, or any D&D system, a magician, be they a mage, or sorcerer, or some other form of spell-caster, has some limit to the number of spells that they can use. This is limited by day, by week, by year, by month, etc. In game systems, your limit is fairly concrete, and isn't flexible, except as your character grows, by story, by level, etc. Another primary example comes from video games, in which you use Mana, MP, SP, or whatever other name it is called, to determine how many spells you can use.

Few people limit their magic, and this causes issues. After five casts of a major level spell, you're likely to be getting tired. Magic is considered an external force for some, and an internal force for others. In some characters, magic is very draining, for others, it seems to take no toll upon them. Balancing a character with magic is difficult, especially in a free-form (which most role-plays are) setting. Now, my best advice for balancing a magical character is to give them some sort of magic related weakness. Now, finding a weakness in proportion to your strength is sometimes difficult. I tend to use, as a default, the spell per day route. I can use a certain number of such and such magic, before my ability to cast runs dry, and I'm forced to revert to whatever magical weapons I carry, if any at all. If not, I go to plain steel/wood/etc, depending on the type of weapons my character has at their disposal.

Now, we're going to discuss elements, and elemental weakness. As far as magic goes, there are usually a set number of elements. Always included will be the four most basic. Earth, Fire, Air, and Water. Along with these you sometimes have Lightning, Ice, Light, Darkness, and several others. In some gaming systems, and in anime, and video-games, your elemental range may be different. Regardless, always research the element you are going to be using. In the process, you want to learn more about the weakness, and strength of the element you want to give your character.

This sounds simple, but in some cases, it actually becomes very complex, as much as I hate to admit it. Balancing your character, if they are magically inclined, can be very difficult. But then again it can also be very easy. Here are a couple of examples:

Lets say Player A wants to give their character, we'll call the character Lynn, two varying magical abilities. She eventually decides that she wants Lynn to have the element of Earth, along with the sub element of Darkness. It seems a plausible mix, and indeed, is very simple to do. Along with her Earth powers, which rather than offensive, grant her a mixture of natural healing spells, Lynn can now also use darkness based spells to cause damage.

That seemed pretty simple, right? Its because it is. Earth and Darkness in no way contradict one another. Now, we have example two. Player B wants to give his character, James, two types of elemental spells as well. Lets see what he does with it:

Player B finally decides to work on writing up James magical spells. After a couple of hours in thought, Player B finalizes his decision, and gives James the Fire elemental spells, and Ice elemental spells. Both of these two spell types are typically offensive, for what he's wanting to do, and instead of having a good balance, Player B decides to use two spells at once, we'll use Fire Bolt, and Cold Bolt as an example. When Player B combines the magic of both spells, the Fire Bolt ends up melting the Cold Bolt, and turns both spells into a wisp of evaporated smoke.

As you can see, Player B made a bad decision on which spells to use. His biggest mistake was attempting to use both spells at once. As you can all see, combining ice and fire does not give you a flaming icicle. It instead gives you a melted puddle of water. While this is a great advantage for your opponent, the point is to balance yourself. Mixing elements can have varied effects. Mixing water and lightning can create an explosive effect when combined as an attack form. Water conducts electricity and causes the charge in the lightning spell to become stronger, making the attack itself more potent.

Combining fire and earth, just gives you a flaming rock. No, not a meteor, just a flaming rock. Combining air, and earth creates a negative effect as well, depending on your system. Always make sure you ask the person running the thread you want to join, what their limits on magic are, what they will and won't allow, and what types of spells they have. If you're uncertain on what kinds of spells to use, look some up. All sorts of anime have various magical attack forms. Or, if you're feeling really inventive, you can attempt to create your own. Your best bet though, is to do a little research on the various elemental spells first.

And then, you come to the non-elemental spells. These are a little trickier, because they don't have an opposing element to design, and balance them around. Instead, you have magic that works in a way very similar to Alchemy. non-elemental spells are balanced purely by effect. For example, Character A and Character B get into a fight. Character A immediately starts powering up to use a fire spell, while Character B prepares a non-elemental shielding spell. When Character A releases their spell, it smashes into Character B's shield, but takes a moment before it forces the barrier to shatter.

Now, in another case, you have too strong of an effect. In this scenario, Character A is again preparing a fire spell to use against Character B, but when Character A's spell hits the shield, it causes a chain reaction, which in turn causes Character A to suffer convulsions, and get flamed by their own spell, as well as adding some heinous result to it, we'll use freezing them as an example. As its pretty obvious to tell, using this kind of magic is more than just a little bit of an imagination stretch.

Effect can vary from spell to spell. And not every spell has to be combat related! Some spells can tell direction, conjure rope, create food, or water, allow you to understand another person, or races language. It all depends on what you decide to do with your magic. If you don't understand something about magic, find someone more knowledgeable than you, and ask them. Chances are, if you ask the right person, they'll give you a good answer. There's also www.google.com out there for those who prefer that route.

And now, we come to the hardest part of this guide to write. Its concerning 'time', and 'reality' magic. These two types of magic are very iffy, and are usually excluded from most role-plays, as very few people understand how to play them well. Time, and time magic is something that is not used lightly. Even a few seconds rewound can result in a massive effect. When using Time abilities, please understand that unless it comes in the form of a Haste, or Slow, or similar type effect, it generally shouldn't be used. Turning back time to reverse entire events occurring is difficult, and draining on the spell caster doing it. They also risk the chance of their spell ripping them apart because of something called a paradox.

Now, 'paradox', as defined by www.m-w.com read as thus.

Main Entry: par'a'dox
Function: noun
1 : a tenet contrary to received opinion
2 a : a statement that is seemingly contradictory or opposed to common sense and yet is perhaps true b : a self-contradictory statement that at first seems true c : an argument that apparently derives self-contradictory conclusions by valid deduction from acceptable premises
3 : one that possesses seemingly contradictory qualities or phases

A paradox is also considered to be a bend in time, or something that no longer fits. For example, seeing another version of yourself is considered a 'paradox', and can upset an entire time-line. I think you're beginning to understand why time magic is used so little, and limited so heavily.

Alright, now, reality magic is very similar to time magic in that it can cause a paradox, of sorts. Seeing another version of yourself, or causing someone to have deja vu, is generally considered a bad thing. Unless a role-play revolves around these types of events, initiating them in a role-play where you haven't gotten permission from the thread-owner can be harmful.

When other characters react to yours, you can force their reactions to change, because of altering reality with your characters magic. This becomes a form of puppet mastering, and as was stated before, that's a big no-no. I'll probably expand on this section right here later.

Healing. Healing magic is great, right? Right. But healing magic can also be abused as easily as any other form of magic. When you heal someone, keep in mind that heals should not be completely instant. They should take a little time to work, maybe leave the caster feeling a little drained. Either way, even a quick fix requires some rest to recover from. Always remember, when your character is healed with magic, to give a little time to actually play out the process of healing. It may seem slow, but it can develop into some pretty interesting play.

Be warned, I will be adding more to this section later. In addition, I'll also be adding several various RP samples revolving around magic use, to give people a good idea of things that are, and aren't considered too strong.

Question & Answer


Any questions that are posed down in the lower thread, I will attempt to answer. Consider this something of a side FAQ for the rest of the thread.

Q: What does the term/word _____ mean?

A: Here's a list to help. If there's something I didn't cover, just tell me via PM, and I'll add it, and add your name to the credits list.
Role-Play: To assume the rule of a character.
RP: Slang for 'Role-Play'
OOC: Out of Character. To be out of character is to speak as the person behind the computer screen.
IC: In Character. To continue, or to begin playing your character.
God Moding: Making a character that is impossible to beat, kill, or best in anything. Any character that is impervious to everything. Any character that seems too godly for their own good.
NPC: Non Playable Character, or, as we D&D players call them, 'Cannon Fodder'. These are characters that are a stable part of your role-play world, but no player may actually take them up. Some characters often switch into NPC mode, if their players have to go offline, or need to run to take care of something. You NPC them until they return.
Storyline/Backstory: Every role-play must have a storyline, or backstory that explains it. This keeps a role-play moving smoothly, more than anything else.
Open RP: A role-play that is open to anyone and everyone who wants to join
Closed RP: These role-plays are usually private, or invitation only. Its rude to post in one of these, and such posts can be considered spam.
Canon Character: This is a character that originates in a genre. Examples are Inu Yasha, Harry Potter, Utena Tenjou. All of these are 'Canon' characters, and are the intellectual property of someone else.
OC: Original Character. These are characters that you yourself create and play. They can be from just about any genre, and are generally pretty fun. Remember though, not all stories need original characters. Some need the canon characters to go anywhere.
Munch/Twink/Sue/Stu: These are all lumped together because they generally mean the same thing. A bad role-player, who is in dire need of improvement.

Q: Can I link back to this thread?

A: Sure! Feel free, in fact, I'd love you for it. If people want, I'll make a banner for it. But I doubt it will get that popular.

Q: Will you be in my Role-Play? Please!?

A: I have a very specific set of genres I play in. If you're curious if I'll play with you/in your role-play, PM and ask me what my preferences are, and explain what your idea is. I may/may not say yes. Be warned, I try to role-play with only literate players. I have nothing against illiterate players, but I find playing with the literate crowd much more fun.

Q: Will you make a section for Role-Plays to be listed?
A: Sure. If your role-play is literate, and you want me to plug it for you in this guide, drop me a link in PM, along with the name of it, I'll take a look over it, and give a general summary when I list it.

Q: Do you support the AMP?

A: Er, no. Because I think some of what they define as 'munching' is just fine for certain types of role-play, but not for others. The rules for role-play, and what should and shouldn't be varies from genre to genre. I think as a role-player gets better, they will be able to distinguish what they should and shouldn't do without the AMP. I would recommend beginners add that to their reading list though. For those interested, the AMP is the Anti-Munch Project, and it can be found here.

Q: Can I bump your thread?

A: Please feel free! Bumps are always welcome. If you really want people to read it, and you know someone will benefit from it, just pass them the link. Its that easy. With luck, this thread will be stickied soon, and bumping will no longer be necessary.

Conclusion & Credits


Well, I've pretty much reached the end of this thing. I will update, and improve it over time, as I can manage to, and as I can think of more, and depending on what kind of feedback I receive from people.

Also, a friendly warning. Please, do not take my role-play advice as the 'absolute' It is just that. Advice. I was lucky enough to have a really good teacher, and have related here to you most of what was told to me when I started learning. If even one person manages to become a better role-player from reading this guide, the twelve hours I put into this, and whatever other time I spend updating it, will be well worth its writing.

Please note something. If you're going to flame me. Or yell at me... please do it with proper grammar, and full sentences, and no leet speak, or AIM speak. If I'm going to be flamed, I at least want to be flamed by someone who can write correctly dammit.

Credits

Chris Ganale - For helping me with writing samples whenever I asked him to. (Thanks little Bro.)

The Paradox - For encouraging me during the writing, and bringing me tea whenever I asked. And for the Fight Club joke. (Love you Baby)

Graey_Kaminari_Shinobi - For volunteering to help me with weaponry, whenever I finally sit down to write the expanded section. (I appreciate the help man, I seriously do.)

Skyhope - Donating a banner for the guide.

Collected - Passing me a useful, and very informative link for my extra work on the expanded weapons guide.

Nerd

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[ Soon to be Edited ]

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Here is a bump for you ^^
I'll read it all later, but I can say this guide is VERY helpful, thank you for writing it all blaugh

You can find information about modern guns here: http://world.guns.ru/main-e.htm

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I am definitely going to have to add this to the links section of my RP Critiquing thread. Once it has been made that is. *cough*

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I must say, good job. BUMP

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Ah, thank you. I read it all and found it very useful! ^^ Bless you for taking the time to right this! And may many gift boxes grace your computer screen whenever you visit gaia!

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thanks, I am quite new to roleplaying and it has helped alot thanks.

Nerd

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I'm glad you've all found it helpful thus far. For now, I'll allow for a bump for the afternoon, and state that I'm planning on adding more to it in a few hours here, internet allowing.

Thank you, Collected, for the weapons link, I'll add you to the credits in just a few moments. ^_^

In addition, I was PM'd earlier with a banner for the guide, and will be posting it, along with my own banner, for anyone who would like to link to us.

Nerd

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[ bump ]

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This thread was very educational and I learned much from it.

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Excellent, just the other day I was thinking damn; so many people complaining about others lacking ability and not doing much to help out. Good to see this is around. ^.^
*subscribe*
I still have ways to go, but always looking to improve.
Lately I was working on creating a RolePlay thread aimed to be a place of practice in one of the RolePlay forums for those who are either new and find themselves just jumping in or those who just want a safe place to 'practice', try stuff out, talk about it and learn.

Recently I made a tread in here to ask advice of people as to some of the aspects of how to go about it, such as the rules and what can be done to make sure it is respected and operational. I hope to get the advice I need to finish the thread. We need threads like these such as the one you made, instead of just moaning about others. Glad to see you are doing something about it; keep up the good fight Dischord.

Consider this as a bump. ^^
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