FAQ

[polymods]

✖ Frequently Asked Questions

  Setting  

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WHERE DOES THIS TAKE PLACE?
The Endless Isles are pretty much what it reads on the tin: an endless archipelago where each island has a different setting and experience. Depending on the character, they will see the islands floating in a horizonless sky or scattered over a wine-dark sea. Some settings will vary and may be: funny, ominous, beautiful, nearly deserted, full of future tech, more like the bronze age, horrific, etc. It's very important players check in and are aware of the monthly theme posts. They are also welcome to ask clarifying questions at any point.

HOW DID THE CHARACTERS GET HERE?
The Ancient transferred your character to her domain in a different plane of existence in order to send them on a journey to sort their emotional/moral situation out. This process comes with consequences for the highest-powered characters in terms of limiting powers and grounding them slightly. This may also explain why a character who's died in canon is alive again.

WHAT'S THE POPULATION LIKE?
Unless otherwise described in the monthly theme, if there's a population on the island that looks human, they probably are. Given the long-term presence of Travelers in the Isles, they are of a variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds and some settings will reflect specific cultural influences that have been brought to the Isles.

WHAT'S THE TECHNOLOGY LIKE?
This is, again, variable in the extreme. There will be locations with little to no technology beyond basic farming implements and locations where impossibly advanced technology is the norm. The internet/cellphones/ect will not be available on most islands. ScryWatches are magical and will work as a means of long-distance communication, translation, and growth monitoring regardless of technology level.

ARE THERE REGULAR ANIMALS AROUND, OR ARE THEY ALL MONSTERS?
Both. Whenever possible, there will be some kind of ecosystem on the islands barring a specific theme. Any normal animal may become a monster if the Ancient feels the need to mete out some consequences.

IS THERE ANYTHING OUTSIDE THE ISLANDS? CAN CHARACTERS LEAVE?
Just the ocean or horizonless sky between the islands. If a character attempts to leave the island before their given time, they will have a meeting with either the Ancient's Flock or the Ancient's Lantern depending on their method of attempted exit. Neither is a pleasant experience.

  IC Game Mechanics  

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WHAT’S AVAILABLE TO CHARACTERS UPON ENTRY TO THE GAME?
Characters arrive with a simple robe in plain colors, simple but sturdy shoes (if needed), and a simple but sturdy carryall bag. They may load up with basic survival supplies at the Main Temple on their first month, but after that available resources will vary greatly during challenge months. The High Temple offers lockers that characters can store things in, but of course they will only be available bimonthly.

CAN CHARACTERS AVOID THE EFFECTS OF AN ISLE?
If a player is on hiatus, yes. Otherwise, some Isles will have an effect that the character needs to participate in to get rid of. If your character does not participate, they will bring that effect along with them. If an Isle gives rewards for participation, your character cannot get them unless they are active.

WHAT IF MY CHARACTER HAS SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS FOR SURVIVAL?
All baseline requirements will be met at the Temple on each Isle. This includes things like blood for vampires, charging for tech-based characters, and meds and mobility aids for characters that require them.

ARE THERE ANY LANGUAGE OR COMMUNICATION BARRIERS?
This is one function of your ScryWatch - through its magic, all characters can understand one another. This extends to sign language.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN IF AN NPC CAN BE CONTROLLED BY BOTH THE PLAYERS AND THE MODS?
Players are welcome to use these characters to help give a sense of the world around them in ways that fit with the established characterization. Anything that changes characterization or reveals significant information about either that character or the game setting in general needs to be mod approved. When in doubt, check-in with the mods.

Good Example: Sadie is comforted by the invisible but friendly Chef delivering familiar food as she starts to explore the Main Temple.

Bad Example: Frank uses mind control to turn all the Temple Guardians into his own personal pets and forces the Chef to tell him about the secret donuts.

IS THERE A POWER CAP?
Yes. Characters should be focused to some degree on personal growth, and having unlimited power tends to limit that option. Additionally, we also want to limit game-breaking elements. Therefore, characters whose extreme power functions as a central plot mechanic in their native canon (think Dr. Manhattan or the Pheonix) will need to be toned down to better reflect the setting and the fact that they are only the main characters of their subplots. This extends to powers that are theoretically infinite or would allow a character to escape unharmed.

WHAT ABOUT (SPECIFIC POWER)?
This is not an exhaustive list, so when in doubt, please ask!

ANY POWER THAT REQUIRES A SPECIFIC ITEM - Unless it is something keeping a character alive or healthy or otherwise embedded in their body, it doesn't come with them. These items can potentially be earned back with activity points.

GODS - Are cut off of their universe of origin, and so may remain very powerful entities while no longer being the literal incarnation of a facet of the game's reality. Ex: Persephone can make an area she's in very spring-like, but can't change the literal season for the Isles.

TIME TRAVEL - Limited to one hour. If this ability comes from a physical item (ex: the TARDIS), it is completely unavailable.

SUPERSPEED/FLIGHT/TELEPORTATION/BREATHING UNDERWATER - Functions normally until a character starts to escape, where it fails.

PSYCHIC OR EMPATHIC ABILITIES/DREAMWALKING/OTHER MENTAL-EMOTION BASED POWERS AND MAGIC - Allowed! The limits of this are heavily based on players being very respectful and willing to communicate with other players. Check-in, respect the ic/ooc line, and ask whenever you have a little doubt.

4TH WALLING - Quips about their own writer, pop culture, playing Cassandra while no one listens? Awesome. Breaking the game setting or using knowledge of other character's backgrounds without permission? Cut it out. We challenge you to use the gaps in knowledge as a creative element of gameplay.

REALITY MANIPULATION - Tread really carefully with this one. The range needs to be limited and the effects need to be temporary.

ANY POWER THAT INSTANTLY KILLS ANOTHER CHARACTER - You have a few options. You can change it to knocking the other character unconscious, causing some other form of physical harm that is non-lethal, or you can lose it entirely.

CAN MY CHARACTER BRING THEIR PET OR SUMMON?
No. Fluffy has to stay at home. However, there will be opportunities through point collection or events where you may be able to reunite with your precious friend.

  OOC Game Mechanics  

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WHAT TIMEZONE IS THE GAME RUN ON?
PST. West Coast, Best Coast, baby! We try to post events by 3:00 PM PST. Applications are usually dealt with over the weekend.

WHAT IS THE TIME RATIO OF THE GAME?
Island timelines are based on the calendar month. One calendar month for the main events and challenges, one calendar month for the rest month. Given the mythic setting and relaxed mode, this does not require a literal 1 day irl = 1 day in game as long as the players are ready to move on at the end of the cycle.

WHAT IS THE EVENT SCHEDULE LIKE?
Every island setting lasts two months: one calendar month for the more challenging events, one calendar month for the more restful events. A new TDM will be posted once every two months.

WHEN DO RESERVES AND APPS OPEN? WHEN ARE TEST DRIVES POSTED?
There are no reserves, and applications are currently always open!

TDMs will be posted in the third week every other month.

WHAT ARE THE ACTIVITY REQUIREMENTS?
Activity is check-in only, once a month. You can check in at any time. AC will be checked after the 7th of the following month. Failure to check in will result in your character being swept. If you need to hiatus, please fill out this hiatus form/contact the mod team. If you miss activity check-in due to extenuating circumstances, please contact the mod team.

HOW WILL YOU PREVENT CHARACTER SQUATTING WITH A CHECK-IN ONLY GAME?
The mods see all. While we aim to be a casual, low-stress game and ask that our players use their best judgment when deciding whether or not they can continue to maintain their characters, characters who fail to make progress or participate to an acceptable level within a two (2) month period will be warned and are at risk of being dropped from the game. You're all adults, please be realistic about what you can handle.

  Applications  

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WHAT ARE THE AGE REQUIREMENTS?
Due to the nature and potential themes of the game, all players must be 18 or older. Polymythos welcomes characters of all ages (within reason, as they must be able to care for their own basic needs), but we ask our players to use their best judgment as to what they put their underage characters through. Continued abuse, torture, and graphic smut involving characters who are under 18 will not be tolerated.

WHAT CHARACTERS ARE APPABLE?
With some exceptions, we welcome all characters including but not limited to canon characters, canon AUs, fandom AUs, original characters, and CRAUs. Fictionalized versions of historical figures (e.g. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, characters from the musical Hamilton, etc.) are allowed, but real life public figures both past and present are not. Doubles or duplicates of characters, even those from separate media types and canon AUs, are not accepted at this time.

CAN I APP A CHARACTER WITH LITTLE BACKGROUND INFORMATION?
Yes. As with fandom AUs, such characters will be subject to scrutiny, as the mod team will want to see that you have a clear sense of their characterization. If you make up history for this character, you will be expected to provide a description of it in your application.

CAN I APP A NON HUMAN CHARACTER?
Yes! We require two basic things about characters: they must have a physical form and they must be sufficiently sentient to have the potential to grow emotionally and interpersonally. If your character is a ghost, AI, or otherwise without physical form, you get to decided how to resolve that. (Made human, becomes the physical undead, gains robot body, etc.) Things that are inherently not human but have physical form do not have to change their bodies.

ARE THERE CAST OR CHARACTER CAPS? HOW MANY CHARACTERS CAN I APP?
At the moment there are no plans for player, cast, or character caps, but this may change in the future. New content breeds new players and our only concern is that certain casts do not completely dominate the game. Players are allowed a total of three (3) characters, however we are open to making the occasional exception provided you are active with all of your characters.

CAN I APP TWO CHARACTERS FROM THE SAME CANON?
Yes, provided the two have no significant overlap. E.g., you cannot play Batman and Robin, they have affected one another in canon.

HOW LONG DOES A PIECE OF MEDIA HAVE TO BE OUT BEFORE I CAN APP FROM IT / CANON UPDATE TO IT?
A piece of media, regardless of language, has to be out for at least one (1) month before you can app from the source material or update your character's canon point to it. For international media, this includes both professionally and fan-translated content, as the internet has allowed for most popular media to be translated almost immediately after release.

CAN I APP A CHARACTER WHO DIED IN CANON? CAN I APP A CHARACTER WHO DIED PREVIOUSLY IN-GAME?
Yes.

WHAT HAPPENS IF CHARACTERS DIE IN-GAME?
You can choose to have your character die or your character may die as a result of particularly bad mistakes in-game. When/if your character dies, you may not re-app that character for one month. During that time, other players may app that character. At the end of one month, you may re-app the character but they must be from a different canon-point or media. They will be a different version of the character and need to rebuild CR and start over in their journey. OCs will also be required to wait one month and reset as well.

IF I LEAVE THE GAME, DOES THAT COUNT AS A CHARACTER DEATH IF I WANT TO REJOIN IN THE FUTURE?
If a player chooses/needs to leave the game, that does not count as a character death. They may be able to re-app the same character and version if they are still available after one month without having to do a full reset.

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Rules and the responses provided here on the FAQ are subject to change at the mods' discretion. For any questions not answered here or that require further clarification, please feel free to submit them as a comment to this post below and the mod team will get back to you ASAP. If you have a question that is related to a specific character's canon situation, please post the question here.

Last Updated: 2/2/2022

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Comments

[sononizaki]

Hi! I have a few canon specific questions, most of them are spoilers related to Higurashi and given that the newest iteration of the series (Gou) is recent, I'll be marking them here, highlight to read:

1) In terms of canon updating - Higurashi characters go through various Fragments (alternate worlds) with the same characters in them; would it still be applicable to canon update? For example: if I were to apply for Mion here from Meakashi-hen, would I be able to eventually canon update her to Matsuribayashi-hen? The two arcs are set in different 'worlds' so to speak. In terms of memories, while they don't exactly remain between arcs, there is a posssibility for characters in the canon to have memory flashbacks of past worlds due to memory accumulation by characters looping through various Fragments.

Because of that nature, would characters canon updating forget what happened during the events in game until they have that recall as well?

Or would this even be possible?

2) And another spoiler-related question, this with an added cw: illness/murder - Higurashi characters have something called the Hinamizawa syndrome - something that, in canon was considered practically 'incurable' until the core of the syndrome changed. In terms of the syndrome, it can cause characters to grow paranoid (under certain circumstances) to the point where they'd wind up killing other people, including themselves. Would they still have the syndrome in this environment?

Thank you so much for reading and your future response!

[polymods]

1. Because the goal of our game is an individual's growth over time, this would qualify as more of a character death than a canon update. You would need to wait a month in between and then could move on to the second version.

2. Characters are welcome to join with canon illness. Whether you choose to have the character still has that illness and its consequences is up to the player as well as whether they will seek a cure/treatment for the illness. Any form of self-injury will need a CW, and please read the updated FAQ for the consequences of character death in-game.

[ethical_calculus]

Okay, I'm pretty sure this is a caveat under the first items rule, but just to be sure...

In the PMMM series, magical girls kind of have their souls inside a gem, which allows them to use magic and do the various other stuff. How would being brought here change things? Would she still have the gem, or is her soul moved into her body, or?

[polymods]

Because the gem is required for your character's survival, it would qualify as something she could bring with her. Alternatively, if you want to explore the character without the gem and with her soul returned to her body, we would allow that as well.

[henchgal]

So, you mentioned that meds/mobility aids would be available at the Main Temple on each island. Does that mean:
a.) A character who needs a mobility aid can pick up the appropriate kind at the Main Temple on their first island and carry on smartly?
b.) A character who needs a mobility aid will only have one while at the Main Temple of whatever island they're on?
c.) Something else?

I'm considering apping a character who uses a cane. Without it, she won't be completely inable to function, but she will be in pain, so I'd like to get a grasp on that up front.

[polymods]

Any mobility aid taken from the Main Temple would continue to be available to the character at their player's discretion. If, for example, a cane is broken or lost during a challenge month, a replacement may be retrieved during the rest month.

[everlastingchains]

The inevitable question about drugs and other controlled substances. Depending on exactly where in canon I choose, Victor is a morphine dependant addict. How would that be handled? Would characters with drug dependencies be playing out their first couple months as cold turkey or is there another mechanic that would apply for this?

[polymods]

The answer depends on a player's discretion. Because addiction is a medical issue, rationed doses of opiates or other addictive substances may be made available similarly to other necessary medications. Alternatively, if breaking an addiction cycle is part of what you would like to explore, that is also an option. Just please include a content warning.

[shadowwyrm]

Morality: is it subjective based on species and culture, or standard Westernized ideas of what is right?

for example, would a Klingon warrior be judged based on HER species' morality, where killing and violence is an honorable way of life but cowardice and betrayal is a grievous sin, or would she (and most of her species) be suddenly forced to "redeem" herself to Western human morality instead of her own species?

[polymods]

Polymythos is heavily inspired by mythologies that predate modern Christianized understandings of morality. The journey of redemption is about developing connections, community, and personal strength over a single worldview's version of good and evil.

That said, certain acts will be inherently a mark against the character, for example, but not limited to murdering unarmed noncombatants/children/vulnerable persons, sexual assault, genocide, hate crimes, etc. Additionally, the Ancient is not likely to respond well to those who damage her sacred sites.

[righteously]

Hey my dudes! I was thinking about applying to CRAU over here from another game. One of the mechanics in that game was that all PCs had a touch-based empathy bond with other PCs. Is that something that could potentially be carried over as a power?

[polymods]

Absolutely! Psychic abilities like you described and telepathy are acceptable as long as the player remains respectful of the ic/ooc line and in communication with other players.

[everlastingchains]

Some clarification on character death because I want to make certain I'm reading it correctly. If a character happens to die in the game, the player of that character has to leave the game at that time. They cannot return to the game until a full month has passed. So if my character dies in April, I am removed from the game and can reapply in May?

During that month, April to May in this case, another person can apply for that character. If they are approved, the original player is basically no longer playing in the game.

Is this correct in my reading of this? That basically, character death = removal from the game.

Also, if no one apps in as said character and the original comes back, they have to reapply? Does this include submitting a whole new application? Or does it just mean simply editing and changing the canon point?

[polymods]

Just to be clear, please don't worry about characters being killed without checking in with you! PCs cannot kill each other without permission and the chance of a mod doing it without having discussed things with you in advance is a fraction of a percent.

Additionally, we are aware that there is some grey room with characters that center around the undead, necromancy, and resurrection. We are not referring to things dying during the day as part of the lore for a particular vampire/ghoul/beastie.

I'm hoping this example will help clarify the rest:


Dan plays MCU Captain American based on the first movie and an OC named Sue. Dan decides he wants to kill Cap in-game and does so. Dan can still play Sue and may app up to 2 new characters at any point.

After a week, Dan decides he wants to play Cap again. He has to wait until a month has passed. During that time, other players can app or reserve any version of Captain America, including a version from the MCU.*

After a month, no one has apped Cap. Dan cannot apply to bring back his version of Captain America.* He can apply a version based on any other movie in the MCU or the comics version, but his original version of the character is dead and can't be brought back.*



*The mods are currently working on reward points and prizes for players who are active, especially with a variety of other players. One of the prizes is very likely to be being able to reserve a character during the death waiting period and resurrecting a character with their original memories.

[edubater]

some dumb wizard related questions.
Puts on the nerd glasses

1. if applying for a wizard or other magic user, would you need a list of all known spells at their disposal, or would you prefer we go through the list and take out the most egregious ones (such as Magnificent Mansion, which gives the wizard an extra planar living space for 24 hours, or Power Word Kill which is just not at all allowed by game rules.)?

2. wizards (at least D&D versions) can use either foci or components to do their spells. As no personal items come with them, would components (or a focus) be available at the Temple or would it be something that would have to be gained through adventure or reward points?

For example Fireball has components of sulfur and bat guano. Message uses a short copper wire. Divine Casters like Clerics use things like a 300 gold worth diamond for spells like Revivify that raise the dead. Will the Temple give wizards their components? Do they need to go find it in their adventuring with the player informing the mods they're looking for X component and asking if they found it? Or would they need to buy components in the reward shop with activity points?

Some of these components, once used (the diamond) are used up and the caster has to get more. Some (like the wire) are reusable. Each spell states if the item is used up at time of casting or not. Which leads to question 3.

3. If components need to be purchased through the reward system, would components that aren't used up in spells, like the copper wire, remain from island to island or would each individual component need to be purchased every single time.

4 (I forgot) I'm sorry for the edit
None of this really matters because wizards also have a Spell Book. They can't do their magic at all if they don't have their Spell Book because all the spells they know are in said book and they have to study them to pick them each day. (Unlike Sorcerers that just innately know the spells they know). They can make a new one with the proper magical paper and ink. Would their personal spell book be something purchasable with rewards, or would the paper and ink for a new book be provided (or would that have to be purchased as well)

[polymods]

1.The answer to this is different for magic users from general canons and D&D (or similar game) based magic users. General magic users can describe magical powers in a similar way to superhero characters with the understanding that all powers must follow the game rules and may require nerfing. Characters based on RPGs where abilities and powers are based on lists and accruing EXP will need to be adjusted to a setting that is based primarily on storytelling and interaction. Current abilities will need to be listed and nerfed when required by setting or game rules. If players want to level up their characters formally rather than having them learn new abilities/spells organically in-game, it should be treated as a canon update and follow those rules.

2. Any magical components for spells would either need to be gathered logically in the game environment based on the Isles the character has been on or earned specifically with rewards points. This applies to things like getting clothing to suit a character's taste, weapons, etc. When in doubt, check with the mods. When objects are used up or broken, they will need to be replaced in a similar fashion.

3. Items that characters collect will travel with them from island to island unless explicitly described otherwise, used up, lost, or the environment of another Isle makes them unavailable.

4. Most temples provide only necessary essentials for survival. Because of this, a D&D wizard would not have their spellbook until they either find the components to make a new one in-game or you've earned enough points to have one as a reward.

[aquaveiled]

Hello there! Quick question on the appability of canon OCs? I do see that canon AU, fandom AU, and OCs are all allowed but wanted to double-check. Specifically characters like the playable characters in MMOs where there is a set storyline that your character is involved in with set dialogue options/base personality traits, but a lot of individual characteristics, focus, background, and nuances are left up to the player.

Thank you!

[polymods]

Canon OCs are absolutely welcome! We'll just be looking to know a bit more about the character's canon and how they fit within it in your application. :)

[diana_abel]

Hi mods,

Two quick questions:

1. Do "OCs" also include original characters from open-setting worlds, like D&D or Vampire: The Masquerade?

2. Speaking of vampires...vampires and sunlight in the game setting? How is that being handled?

Thank you!

[polymods]

1. Yes, they are, they just require a more thorough background similar to other OCs.

2. Polymythos is set in an alternate universe, it’s up to players to determine if its sunlight and moonlight have the same effects on their characters. However, if a vampire is no longer killed by sunlight to enable gameplay, that gain in power needs to be balanced out in some way.

[onlyaduck]

So you mentioned magical items/powers above, would someone like Ahiru be allowed to come in with her magical amulet? Without it she is a duck, but with it she’s able to turn into a human girl.

[polymods]

You would have the choice of either apping a duck who might eventually get the resources/ability to become a girl sometimes or have the transportation into Polymythos make her a physical human who might someday get the ability to sometimes become a duck.

CANON SPECIFIC QUESTIONS

[polymods]

In the hope of maintaining a bit of organization and efficiency, please respond to this thread with canon-specific questions.

PERSONA

[masqueraid]

Personas are summon-able entities across various SMT/Persona installments... Wild Card users in particular are gifted with being able to carry more than one Persona at a time. The starting limit in Persona 5 is 6, though it can eventually be increased to 16 after meeting certain criteria / levelling up.

Seeing as how 16 is quite a lot... how many would Ren reasonably be allowed to bring along with him?

[quoththepoe]

Hello what would happen with an AI that has no official body? Would he be granted a human body or is that not possible? Thank you!

[polymods]

If you want your AI to gain a body, we would be glad to accept that resolution.

[testgasm]

Hello!

Wondering about your general stance on robot characters. Do you require humanization, or are they good to be apped as-is? This particular character is incapable of independent movement, for the most part. I am definitely used to working around that in various ways, but is it possible there are options for a chassis? Hovering magic? Any mod team preferences in that department?

EDIT: jinx player above owes me a soda

[quoththepoe]

[hardcase]

Hey, mods! What’s the stance on characters that are pretty irredeemable? As in, ones that would start at Red and would be unlikely to move up if progress is defined purely on morality terms. Would villains on that level be playable here, or would they be kicked out/punished pretty quickly?

[polymods]

The idea of the game is for characters to be forced to examine their motivations and actions, and to (hopefully) grow as a result. That is not, however, something that the mods intend to force anyone into. After all, people who are resistant to such personal development can be pretty gosh darn entertaining. And who doesn't love a good villain?

A character who starts at red and has no motivation to change is much more likely to be punished by the Ancient, yes. These punishments may result in additional powers being nerfed if that is something the player would be interested in playing out.

But kicked out? No. The Ancient is curious about all sorts of beings, and every single one of them helps determine the fate of the universes. For some villains (say, the walkin dude types) that could potentially mean never having other people to rule over and fuck with. How tragic!

Ultimately every player decides how/if they want their character to change during their time spent on the Endless Isles. We just aim to provide a setting that facilitates that!

[medeiun]

Hello mods, just a quick question regarding power capability! Some of Maleficent's fey powers involve manipulation of the earth / weather. (For example, she can move trees and various other features of nature to make things or... to attack people, oops. She can also manipulate the weather in specific areas, like causing storms or rain in a certain place — not the entire sky, however!)

Would these types of abilities be considered "world-affecting / altering" and need to be nerfed, or would they be okay for her to keep? (If so, definitely with the understanding that they can't be used to permanently alter the settings or anything like that.) I just wanted to check first, thank you!

[polymods]

Hello! In the case of a character with powers tied to the environment, they will not be entirely nerfed, no. As you said, they could not permanently alter the environment, but they could certainly use their abilities as you've described.

In certain prompts the powers may be made unavailable, but that would be explicitly stated in the prompt itself.

[vladpire]

Hello, mods. I see that there's dietary considerations for those of the bloodsucking type, but what about day to day existences and in another question answered, you have it up to player management as to whether a vampire is affected the same way by Poly's sun/moon as they are by their own world's. If one were to negate it a little or lessen effect/extend the time they can be out, what would the compromise for that look like for you? Example: Vlad here can be out in overcast days, as long as it's not direct sunlight. If I were to allow him either limited time in sunlight or a different reaction to Poly's sun, would a power compromise be something along the lines of nerfing his ability to make new vampires or his weather manipulation? (He can call overcast clouds which hey, great for him, not so great for anyone that wants a tan).

[polymods]

CST Mod says the weather manipulation seems like a pretty natural trade, but with the caveat that isn't the only possible resolution.

We're aware that some of our answers are very open and non-specific when it comes to nerfing and similar things. We really don't want to limit players on how they creatively negotiate the setting and ideas of the game as long as the players engage in good faith. We know that can be a little frustrating when we haven't had a chance to establish norms yet but hope it will pay off in the long term. If you have a resolution you'd like to try, sell it to us in the app. If it's not too far off, we'll work with you.

[aimsthegun]

On the topic of CRAU, does this only cover characters from previous games or are PSL-inspired CRAU characters also on the table? 👀

[polymods]

As of this moment, the mods are currently embroiled in a discussion on CRAU and what may or may not be accepted, so unfortunately we cannot give a concrete answer at this time. We aim to update the application rules as soon as possible, based on the frankly unexpected amount of interest in the game. Thank you for your patience!

[swordjock]

if a character views themselves as being worse then they are, due to self-worth issues (ie. "i couldn't save everyone = i'm responsible for every death/injury/etc that happened" mindset), would the band colour reflect that? obviously a lawful/neutral good character is probably never going to be red, but could their perception of themselves be the difference between starting at, say, yellow instead of green?

+ are characters told in any way what the different colours mean? or are they left to figure it out themselves based on what other people have? (i'm very sorry if this is covered somewhere that i missed!)

[polymods]

Their band colour would absolutely reflect their self image, as such a thing is a psychological issue in need of attention. Essentially anything that has to be worked through in order to make themselves a well-adjusted person will be reflected in their Scrywatch. (Otherwise all the heroes would certainly have an advantage!)

The Travelers will not be told what the colours mean and will get to figure it out on their own, poor dears.

[assholic]

Regarding the character application cap (3) per player; is there a cap for reserving/first app rounds? Can someone app in all 3 in one round, or 2, or 1?

[polymods]

Players may only reserve one (1) character at a time. They are welcome to apply three characters, provided the others aren't reserved, however.

[taciturnly]

hello mods! a few questions if i may, mostly regarding: "PSYCHIC OR EMPATHIC ABILITIES/DREAMWALKING/OTHER MENTAL-EMOTION BASED POWERS AND MAGIC".

1. would a silencing spell be allowed? it's not "magic" per se, or well, not in the usual sense anyway i guess? it's a technique used by certain cultivators, which brings me to my second question.

2. would cultivators be allowed to retain their golden core? aka the driving force of qi/spiritual energy which is then cultivated, used and channeled into weapons, people (to heal, usually), etc. (on a side note, cultivators are basically "practitioners of martial & mystical arts who strive to become powerful and increase their longevity". it's based on a real taoist concept and is pretty popular in chinese fantasy, wuxia & xianxia).

3. and! my character wears a pretty significant ribbon around his head and i was wondering if he'd arrive with it or if that too would be left behind.

thank you!

[polymods]

1. Yes, as long as it is temporary and you're willing to be in communication with it.

2. Yes, though we would need a bit more information about a specific character's ability/use of their individual skills.

3. Unless an object is necessary to sustain the life of a character, it would not be transported with them. If you can make a point about a way the ribbon does that in the app, we will hear you out.

Hope that helps!

[omertae]

hello mods! this is an extremely long question about power nerfing and capping, mostly just to feel out if the nerfs that i usually apply to angelo are cool with this game setting!

angelo is technically super OP in that his power is really nebulous and constantly evolving as he "unlocks" or learns to use more of it, but obviously that would be way too powerful in game, so we can just discount that mechanic entirely. i usually call his power "reality warping" in that he can distort the way a person (including himself) interacts with and perceives their own reality, and this is obviously able to be twisted a few different ways, but he usually uses only a few really specific applications.

he has three main uses for his power that i usually detail in his profile etc, so i'm just going to go over those with proposed nerfs:

1) illusion generation (creating realistic illusory nightmare-style experiences for other people) – this is his 'base' power, really, and the one that he's used most often. he can make other people experience short, intense bursts of extremely complex illusion, for example, he can make someone believe they're covered in bugs or being slashed by a thousand tiny razorblades. these illusions cause a lot of mental distress and often physical pain in their targets, and though people mostly come out of it physically unscathed, there have been occasions where a mind has believed in the illusion so strongly that the body was physically injured in some way. i also usually play with the idea that he does this in very short bursts, so anything more sustained than maybe an hour of on-and-off usage would result in an intense migraine. it's unlikely that he'd be spending an hour doing this, though. i would definitely discuss this kind of thing with other players, and likely have an opt-in page for this kind of thing, since it's pretty intense. i'd also be willing to nerf the ability to cause physical injuries through this power, and keep it purely to mental experience of pain but nothing physical.

2) memory manipulation (altering, erasing and rewriting someone else's memories) – i'd just nerf this completely! way too OP and extremely sketchy when it comes to playing with others.

3) self defence (warping his own reality to protect himself from injury) – this is pretty vague as he's only just starting to figure it out, but essentially, he can use the power to warp his own perception of reality to avoid an injury. for example, he could stand in front of a candle and warp the flame out of his own reality – to other people, the flame would still be there, but to him, it wouldn't be, and so he could put his hand right "in" the flame and not be burned. this is extremely mentally and physically taxing on him, and the slightest dip in concentration would result in the flame returning to his perception and immediately burning him. it takes an awful lot of mental effort to keep this kind of thing up and he would never be able to make himself fully impervious to any and all threats; it relies on mental fortitude and quick reactions, and any distraction would bring him out of it instantly. concentrating too hard on something, or trying to protect himself from something complex like, idk, the effects of poison, wouldn't really work, and would probably cause him more trouble in the long run, as overuse and strain on his power would cause nosebleeds and potentially unconsciousness. this branch is still quite open in its uses (like, if he fell off a cliff, he could imagine himself landing in a pool of jello or something to break his fall IF he was quick-thinking enough to pull it off and not too busy panicking) so if you guys would rather have me cap this a bit more, i'd be more than happy to.

sorry this is such an unbearably long question, guys!! please let me know if i need to clarify anything more specifically. it also goes without saying that these powers are entirely dependent on angelo's brain working at maximum efficiency, which it often does not. i love playing with him failing to use his powers properly, so i'd definitely not app into the game with the intent to break it and make him the Most Powerful Character who subjugates everyone else with his jello pool of safety, lol

[polymods]

Hello hello! Thank you for taking the time to explain not only how things work, but how you would normally alter the powers!

1) The illusion generation actually seems fine the way you play it - honestly it's mostly the sort of thing that would affect other players, so even being able to cause physical injury would be just fine!

2) That one we would not require you to nerf entirely (there's bound to be plenty of telepaths wandering around the game) but as with any sort of mind fuckery it would indeed require communication with other players. So that one's up to you!

3) Reality warping is always the tricky one, but the way you have described how his powers work it actually sounds fine - there's consequences, it's not All Powerful(tm), and it sounds like you can use it to great advantage in prompts to get people in/out of trouble. So, have at it! (With the caveat, of course, that there may occasionally be prompts where nobody's special talents work, but that goes for everyone.)

[funreliablenarrator]

So! Is there a size limit in this game? Will a giant robot come in as a giant robot or just a robot?

[polymods]

That is an extremely good question! As a robot, said robot would have to be able to fit on the boats and in human-sized spaces in general, so you can be extremely-large-human-sized. Like the tallest NBA player ever is fine.

However if said robot has another form - like a car - you can be a regular sized car. Wherever it would fit.

[hashtagparkerluck]

I saw in the rules there are no duplicate characters but what about same characters from different mediums?

[polymods]

Currently we are counting those as duplicates. This may change in the future, but at the moment - especially with the current level of interest and reserves - we will not allow the same character from different mediums. Sorry!

[sequinns]

For purposes of whether it’s ok to app two characters from the same canon, would the DCEU and DC Comics be considered different canons? In this case, the characters both exist in the comics and have some overlap, but one of the characters doesn’t exist at all in the DCEU.

[polymods]

A bit of a tricky situation, but in this case, we'll allow it. We're mostly concerned with characters who majorly influence each other and the media source division helps some.