| Site Index > Rules > Character > Player Characters |
| Player Characters | |
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| Term Name: | Player Character
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|---|---|
| Description: | A character who is run and controlled by a player.
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| Abbreviation or Synonyms: | PC
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| Rule Type: | Character |
The core of any roleplaying game is creating your own character to play. This page will give you information on how to do so.
Definition
A player character (or PC for short) is any character created and role-played by it's creator.
Players are allowed to play a PC for up to 2 shifts per event as long as they NPC at least the same number of shifts that event.
Character Creation
Creating a player character is relatively simple. First the character needs a name. A background can be submitted for approval, but backgrounds are not required. Players may simply bring a character into play with no background (and optionally writing one later). Characters must select one of the game's playable species to be. Finally each character begins at level 0 assuming they haven't been assigned any experience points yet. This gives 10 skill points to spend. If you use the online character portal it will confirm you are spending those skill points according to the rules. You can print the character sheet generated by the portal and you're all set. Using a pen and paper character sheet is also allowed, but the portal is preferred by logistics. At your next event show the sheet when you check-in and it will get approved at that time.
Character Names
Character names should only be serious names, never silly or insulting, and never deliberately taken from pop culture, history, or literature.
There is also a strong preference whenever possible to not use the same names as existing player characters. It happens sometimes, particularly with more common names, but if you know its going to happen you should choose a different name. Please do not use your real life name as the name for a character.
Staff have the authority to require you to change your character's name if they deem it unfit.
Character Backgrounds
A good character background should be more than 500 words long and should contain "hooks" that can be used to give the game masters ideas to write interesting stories for you to experience in play. Submitting a background should be done by the Friday prior to the first event you wish to play a character at (or before the character has earned level 2) if you wish to earn 5 experience points for doing it.
To submit a background use this this form.
Players are responsible for having a reason for their character to be in Maplewood, the current setting of the game. It is hard to play a character who doesn't want to be part of the setting of the game, and this can be disruptive to the game. |
New characters should talk to plot staff (Ryan Green and Donald Tyson) about being part of existing in-game social organizations (those in the world book). Some require a character to have an appropriate role-playing skill. Players are allowed to create their own organizations if they wish by trying to establish those organizations in game through role-playing.
You are allowed, even encouraged, to create your own hometown or village within one of the established parts of the world, but you are not allowed to create new nations.
Characters should never have a burning hatred of another player character species.
Alts (Alternate Characters)
A player can have as many characters as they wish. The player's primary character is commonly referred to as a "main" while other characters are referred to as "alts". Alts follow normal character creation rules, but there are some restrictions on playing them. Players with more than one character must choose where they assign any experience points earned to. Gear (or any other resource, such as experience) earned by one character may not be transferred to another. Only one character is used to determine what shifts a player is assigned to during an event. If one character is a member of one group and a second one is a member of another group that is on different shifts, you will still only have one shift assignment each shift balance.
Each alternate or new character should have a different character background than other existing characters you have now (or have had in the past). They should also generally seek to interact with different player characters, and join different groups. This is intended to avoid cliques forming. |
Character Possessions
Each character will have it's own character sheet, which you can assign the experience points you earn to. Once assigned to a character, experience cannot be transferred to your other characters.
Any items a character earns during play can be traded with characters played by other players. You may not transfer numbered items, consumables or currency from one of your characters to another of your own characters. Mundane items like clothing, weapons and armor can be shared between two characters played by the same person, but if they are distinctive this should not be done. If observing this rule creates a financial hurdle to playing for you (such as if your very distinctive character dies, and the only garb you have was that character's) talk to staff, they will help you change up your look.
Players may have any number of characters at a time, but can only have two characters active in a one calendar year. If character death results in a situation where you can't play a PC at all due to this rule, be sure to talk to the plot marshal or second (Ryan Green and Donald Tyson) about the circumstances. |
New Character Amnesty
When a player brings a new character into game for the first time there are often unexpected surprises. Maybe part of the character's concept doesn't quite work out as expected, you learn the accent you wanted to have is a pain to keep doing for 10 hours in one weekend, or any number of other possible problems. We understand that completely.
Every new character gets an amnesty after the first event they are brought into play (any time before the second event they are played). A player may do this once for each character they make. This can be used to rewrite the character's background, their character sheet, any make-up or costuming choices,ain their species and other considerations. In the unusual event that a brand new character dies their first time out they are even allowed to bring the character back from death (generally with some help from the game masters to make it make sense with the story).
Character Retirement
Sometimes you just get tired of the character you are playing, or more excited for a new one, possibly both. Maybe your character has accomplished all of their goals and has no further development you want to explore. You've decided it is time to stop playing the character.
We call this character retirement.
Character retirement can be done between events at any time. Retirement can also be planned ahead with a game master. If you plan ahead with a game master generally they will write a special plot working with you to create a special send off for the character. The game masters have permission to run some special unusual kinds of plots they might not get to run during normal gameplay when working on character retirements.
When you want to retire a character get in touch with the Logistics staff and they will walk you through winding down a character. Some of your experience will carry over to either a new character (or an existing alt). This is a special exception to the rule against transferring things from one character to another. You'll also get to use the calculated value of a portion of the gear and items you take out of play towards your new character (or existing alt).
Character Death
Character deaths happen sometimes. Despite your best efforts your character dies during an event while in play. This is ok, more fun awaits you with your next character.
When a character dies you'll need to keep track of what exactly is still in that character's possession afterwards. Items that leave play when a character dies will be used to help determine what your next character will bring into play with them (or can be used towards an existing alt).
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After the event where your character dies it's your responsibility to get into contact with Logistics staff (Frank Tamburrino and Taylor Dean) and they will walk you through winding down that character. This follows the same general procedure as character retirement, but without the planning ahead part. |
Main Character Syndrome
It's always important to remember that everyone wants a chance to shine and have a major impact on a story. Sometimes through normal situations players will do things that by necessity makes everyone pay attention to them. This is normal and healthy. However, if you do it a lot, you might be preventing other players from getting a chance to share the spotlight. This behavior is known as "Main Character Syndrome".
It's completely ok to take the spotlight sometimes. The line is when you're doing it so often that you are preventing others from also getting to be the center of attention. The best players pay attention to others to make sure they are getting to have their fair share of the fun, and if they sense that someone might not be engaged, give them opportunities to drive the story.
Remember also that driving the story generally means driving THEIR story, not YOUR story.
References
Creating a Character Sheet
You can create a character sheet online here: https://portal.kingdomsofnovitas.org/
You are allowed to use pen and paper as well if you wish (though logs staff prefer sheets made through the portal).
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VU9eeNX1iD5h_kDgRHolmHrYfdb0-cMM/view?usp=drive_link
Experience
Characters in Kingdoms of Novitas do not earn experience. Players earn it. Experience in Kingdoms of Novitas is awarded for actions that help improve the game.
Whenever players donate money to the game or pay for things like event entry fees they get 1 experience point for every $10 donated or spent.
While money is one way to help the game, there are many others as well. Each shift a player NPCs earns them 1 experience point. Players who NPC 3 or more shifts get an extra experience point for the third and fourth shift they NPC. Helping with setting up and breaking down each event also earn experience, a point for every hour spent.
Work groups have a variety of positions that need to be filled every event, such as the make-up desk, game masters, and innkeepers. These typically get 2 experience for a shift.
Item donations to the game will earn experience when they are requested. Not every donation is acceptable, the Marshals will periodically post lists of the things they are currently looking for at that time.
Several times a year, the Boy Scouts host "Work Days" where volunteers work on improving the camp site for everyone's benefit. We award experience to players who participate and help at these work days.
Finally, Marshals will from time to time have special projects for improving the game, or maintaining our supplies. These include things like laundering the NPC garb, building new costuming, technical projects (such as working on this Wiki or the Web Portal), going to conventions to recruit new players, and writing projects.
Players can check how many experience points they have by going to the online experience look-up located here.
To get your player ID number or character ID numbers speak to the Logistics Marshal or Second (Frank Tamburrino and Taylor Dean).
Character Levels and Skill Points
Players take the experience points they earn and assign them to their characters. All experience points go to one character until you speak to the Logistics Marshal or Second (Frank Tamburrino and Taylor Dean) to change who they are going to. The total number of experience points assigned will determine what level a character has. Characters begin at level 0 with 10 skill points. Each level after that earns a character 2 skill points. The first 20 levels require 5 experience points each. Every level after that requires 10 experience points.
That means you can calculate how many skill points a character has with these two formulas.
- For characters under 100 experience points, they have:(Experience Points/ 5) = Level
- For characters with over 100 experience points, they are:((Experience Points - 100)/ 10) + 20 = Level.
Then use this formula to determine skill points: (Level * 2 + 10).
Thankfully you never need to memorize these formulas, you can use the online character sheet.
- Example 1: Your character has 39 experience points. 39/5 = 7th level with 4 extra xp. This character would have 24 skill points.
- Example 2: Your character has 168 experience points. ((168-100)/10) + 20 = 26th level with 8 extra xp. This character would have 62 skill points.
Event Timeline
- 3pm: Staff Arrival.
- Only Staff can arrive at Camp Kingsley to begin set up at this time.
- 4pm: Site Opens.
- Camp Kingsley is now open to everyone to arrive.
- 4pm-6pm: Set up.
- Props are brought out of the props shed. Help is greatly appreciated and experience is given for helping.
- 7pm-9pm: Check-In.
- Players can pay for the event, get character sheets approved and collect their pre-produced items.
- Players arriving after 9pm are still able to check-in, but will need to be patient as the person assigned to late check-in's may be out playing a non-player character.
- 9pm-2am: 1st Shift.
- Food is available at the inn for all players.
Saturday
- 2am-10am: Nothing Scheduled.
- Sleep, socialize, do what you will.
- No food is provided by game during this time.
- 10am-3pm: 2nd Shift.
- Food is available at the inn for all players.
- 3pm-8pm: 3rd Shift.
- Food is available at the inn for all players.
- 8pm-1am: 4th Shift.
- Food is available at the inn for all players.
Sunday
- 1am-8am: Nothing Scheduled.
- Sleep, socialize, do what you will.
- No food is provided by the game during this time.
- 8am-10am: Clean-up.
- Be sure to clean-up your personal belongings before helping with general game clean-up.
- Some players arrive earlier than this, others arrive later. Experience is awarded for this and help is greatly appreciated. The more people involved the faster it goes.
- 11am: Site Closes
- 11am-1pm: Lunch Off-Site
- Players still around typically go get lunch somewhere nearby after an event.
- Nicky Doodles in Rome, NY is the current popular destination when it is open (April-October).
- For the cold weather months we have not found a location large enough to accomodate everyone. So generally smaller groups go to different locations by preference.
- Players still around typically go get lunch somewhere nearby after an event.
Categories: Character Rules
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