General RPing Rules

_{These rules are largely copy-pasted from Argo Rules as [CuteCommander] not only did a fantastic job of organizing a fun and well-managed RP, but did so with the most comprehensive and detailed set of RP rules I have ever seen.
Basically, since this is my first time GMing, I hope these rules will make things a little easier.}

1. No power-plays:
The usual rule for RPs - you only control the direct actions of your character. Also, please keep in mind that there are no immortal characters (aside from pre-established ghost characters as this is a haunted house RP) - it is entirely possible that some of them will get hurt. Nobody is invincible. Posts that appear to be power-played will be flagged as inappropriate.

2. Be polite to your fellow players:
This is a general rule for the site. Characters can be nasty to each other, but as players we should all be working towards an enjoyable experience. If you feel like you have an issue with a player, let [ancienteye] know.

3. Try to post regularly:
At least once a week is preferred, but after two weeks your character will be GMed into their room for a while until you return to post again. If you can't meet this, let [ancienteye] know.

4. If unsure of what is possible, ask [ancienteye]:
This RP is neither Sci-Fi nor High Fantasy, but the manor is haunted, so there will be certain supernatural elements. However, this RP is set in modern-day, with the general population being unlikely to believe in ghosts or most other supernatural forces, so if you wish to have your character somehow interact with or discover something paranormal that has not already been established, please ask first.

5. All contestants must be agreed before playing:
If you want to play a contestant for the inheritance, please fill out the character form and submit it to [ancienteye] prior to the beginning of the RP. Similarly, any other characters must be accepted by [ancienteye], but any that are not contestants may be developed or introduced after the gameplay starts, so long as they do not contradict any established events in the RP. Any posts made by unaccepted characters will be deleted.

6. When posting, make your character's name bold:
This is a tip I've picked up from other RPs - it basically makes your character's actions easier to track. You only need to embolden your character's name once per post. e.g. 'Taking a drink from his mug, Justin sighed delightedly; fresh coffee was Justin's favourite.'
^{--This rule is totally unchanged from its original source, so the example was written by [CuteCommander].}

7. Never leave your character in limbo:
Yet again, another tip from another RP. If your character is moving from one location to another (although, at the moment, there are only two location pages), please make sure that the character is posted leaving one location and arriving in the other.

8. Post in past tense:
I like to have some consistency in my RPs, and past tense is the easiest to write. Try to keep to this.
^{--Also unchanged from original source.}

9. Give others a chance to post:
While I would like to see people post regularly, remember that we're all in different time zones. Give others a chance to react to your character's actions and speech - this will make the RP experience so much richer.
^{--Again, unchanged from original source.}

10. Have fun!
It's a manor house. Full of antiques and century-old family heirlooms. And ghosts. And secret passageways. It's basically everything I ever dreamed about exploring as a kid, so go ahead and let your inner child out, too!

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Character-Building Guidelines

_{These rules were created specifically for this RP. If there is any confusion, please ask for clarification, as I wrote most of this with a head-cold.}

1) If you are playing a contestant, at least one his or her parents is a greedy, self-entitled brat:
The challenge that is the basic plot of this RP would not be happening otherwise. Of course, whether or not your character takes after that parent or is even on pleasant terms with them is entirely up to you.

2) No more than one contestant two contestants per player:
The original rule was going to be that everyone playing a contestant must play the contestant's immediate family. That way there isn't any writer conflict about personal history or familial memories. Also, it should keep people from getting so absorbed in the potential family drama stuff and focused on the cousin interactions/plot. With the prospect of more players being involved, however, it seems more feasible for the family tree to be maintained by a two-contestant-per-player basis instead of a immediate-family-group-per-player one. Plus, the family drama might be fun.

3) If you and another player are playing siblings, please discuss family dynamics/shared memories with each other before any references to either come up in the RP:
See the highlighted area of the second guideline. That is the reason for this rule.

4) If you and another player are playing siblings, please discuss who plays which immediate family members:
The sum of the overall inheritance is not disclosed until the reading of the will, but the general consensus among the grandfather's children is that it is going to be huge. As such, even the most self-centered of them are probably going to be checking up on their "cherished children/nieces and nephews"--the contestants--every once in a while. Not all of them are likely to make the effort to actually come to the manor, but phone calls are to be expected.

5) If your contestant character does not have any challenge-age siblings, you are expected to play any immediate family members unless another player agrees to do so:
See the highlighted area of the second guideline, again.

6) There are age limitations for the contestants and any siblings they have:
All contestant characters have to be at least eighteen. Any siblings they have that are not contestants must have been born after the grandfather's death--approximately thirteen years before the RP begins.

7) No one is required to play a contestant:
While there is a maximum of one contestant two contestants per player, you can always opt to only play non-contestant characters. There is, at the moment, no maximum nor minimum for how many non-contestant characters anyone can play. You could play an entire family of neighbors, a pair of ghosts, another contestant character's Uncle Craig, the grocer's cat, or even no non-contestant characters at all.

8) The page Ghosts of Dry Lake is password-protected and only accessible to those who play ghost characters:
It contains information that is kept from other players for the sake of suspense/mystery.

9) Ghost characters must have some reason to haunt the manor:
Please contact [ancienteye] about how your ghost would be connected to Dry Lake Manor before creating your ghost/asking for the password.

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A note about formatting:

While character posts for contestants, townspeople and relatives are to have plain format except for bolding at the name and italics in thoughts or for emphasis, it would be appreciated if all ghost posts were completely in italics due to their ambiguity/otherworldliness.

Also, any GM posts in response to characters interacting with the house (investigating a loose tile, trying to move a bookcase, etc.) will be entirely bolded.

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Consult RP: Bad Bios
Return to dry lake manor