Before requesting access, you are required to read the following:

• Rules of Conduct
• RPoL Terms of Use
• RPoL Mature Games Policy

Game rules may be subject to change.

Applications will not be accepted on a first come-first served basis. Please take some time and give some thought to your answers. Try to provide specific instead of generalised answers.

SECTION I. PLAYER QUESTIONNAIRE

1. Please provide your age and year of birth.
   
2. What is your current time zone?
   
3. What is your average posting rate?
   
4. What is your first language, if not English?
   
5. Why do you wish to join this game?
   
6. What are your expectations for this game?
   
7. What is your experience with gaming in general?
   
8. What are the sorts of things do you enjoy? (In terms of games, books, movies, et cetera. I'm interested in hearing about anything, really.)
   
9. What are taboo issues for you? (For example, some people are averse to games that depict drug usage in any way. Others feel uncomfortable with current political issues.)
   
10. Please provide a writing sample. (I'm mostly looking for correct spelling, adherence to the rules of grammar, good diction, interesting ideas, and so forth.)

SECTION II. CHARACTER QUESTIONNAIRE

Think of this second questionnaire like a pitch. You are pitching your character for the game. Some characters may not fit with the game I'm trying to run. Or perhaps won't fit with the characters other players are running. My philosophy is that there needs to be a synergy between the players, GM, and the characters so that we're all rooting for the same thing.

Which in my opinion, should be "a successful game".

Write a paragraph of text for a character, like you'd see in a story outline, describing the most essential elements of your character. What kind of arc do you envision for the character? What do you envision their story to be about? Try to capture what makes them unique as a character.

Compose your pitch in complete, grammatical sentences. No lists of abilities; no sentence fragments. It's okay to submit only one pitch, but would be better if you do more. Ideally, I would like to see three to five character pitches, after which I will pick the best one for a more in-depth focus. Each character pitch should be around 200-300 words long.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Here are some answers to some questions you might have.

What is the Big Picture?

The story begins with a group of friends who find a mysterious stone turns out to be a legendary Elfstone, tying their own fate to the fate of the world.

Traveling incognito, one of Order of the Magi and their guard arrive in the village, secretly aware that the Enemy is searching for something within the village. Unable to determine the whereabouts of the stone until it is too late, the magus helps to defend the village from attack. After the Enemy’s agents are beaten back, the magus decides to take the group of friends to a place of safety.

But many dangers fall in their path along the way. The arrival of an Elfstone signals a momentous event in the history of the world, and the Great Powers take notice. And of course the machinations of the Magi should ne'er be forgotten.

However, beyond that, I don't have much planned. I usually come up with a premise and form the game's world around the players as they explore it. I might have a few underlying NPCs and world facts in my head, but that's about it, and those are easily discarded if I find something better to fit.

Who are the players supposed to be?

At its heart, this is a game about young heroes who find themselves in over their heads and have to grow as a result of their experiences. Their world is often gritty and dark, but it is never grim. The characters have a chance to save their homes, their friends, and their families, but their success is not guaranteed.

Characters should be inexperienced youths for the most part (ages 14-17), as this is about exploring the hero's journey with youthful characters thrown into something far beyond their own experience.

On the other hand, you may want to play a more older, more powerful mentor-like figure. In that case, you will be closely screened, as I do not want these players to disappear, and I need to be sure we can play well together.

No matter what, they have come to Lindheim for whatever reason.

A company should be comprised mainly of Men, with only one or two of each other of the races, at the most.

Were I applying, I might pitch one of the following concepts:

• A scrappy youth who has found the Elfstone. Destiny awaits, but what will they find?
  
  • They were always a bright child, and loved stories of ancient wizards and sorceresses who mastered the arcane arts. Unfortunately, there was no one around to teach them such things.
  • They grew up sitting wide-eyed round the fire, listening to stories of knights and heroes who slew dragons and saved the kingdom. The other children liked those stories as well, but you lived for them, and you promised yourself that you would grow to be a great knight, too.
  • Some young would-be adventurers got by with their sword arm or with words of power in the language of magic, but they need neither. The world was full of things to see and enjoy, and their fingers were more than quick enough to let them have what they liked.
  • Hunter, gatherer, or guardian, it took a brave soul to wander the woods. They went where few in your village would dare, and, moreover, they felt at home in those places. They knew every twig and leaf for miles around, and all their friends look to their guidance when leaving home.
  • They were found in swaddling clothes beneath an ancient standing stone near the village, a fae token on their breast. Some of the villagers were kind and took them in to raise them as their own.
  • While their childhood was that of an ordinary villager, something miraculous happened when they came of age. After a dramatic event, they felt the call of the elder gods, and now worshipped them openly, as their ancestors did. One of these ancient deities showed them particular favour, and they now did his work amongst their people.
  • An order of devout knights had accepted them into its ranks, and they swore to protect the weak and oppose darkness. Their god blessed their blade and gave them great prowess in battle. While they have been vested by these Templars, they were still a novice, and now must prove themselves to them.
  • As a daughter of a noble house, she was never quiet and demure, as some would have wished her to be. She grew up on tales of heroes, mighty deeds, and great battles. She learned the ways of war in secret and can now best any lad in the castle.
  • They were raised to seek glory on the field of battle and to protect their charges. Chivalry was everything to them, but shortly after being squired, however, they lost their knight. Now they have set themselves on their own errantry, and will need the help of stalwart friends in order to see themselves knighted.
  • The scion of a noble house, which once birthed a line of kings, though they fell long ago. Since that time, their family has lived as simple villagers, keeping the secret of their heritage.
• The elven protector, a mysterious young elf skilled in wood-lore. The forests were their home, and they wander freely within them, watching communities of Men, tracking destructive raiders, and protecting the wild places of the world. Now they live near a mannish town and have taken a liking to several of the locals.
• The wandering hobbit, who dreamed of mountains, seas, and monsters. Now they wander from town to town, never staying anywhere long. The stories of Men were fascinating, and they haven’t had their fill of adventure yet.
• The adventuring dwarf, for whose lands in the hills and mountains were no longer a home. They have journeyed to the lands of Men to find their fortune and make their own way, all while making strange friends in places where they expected to find only foes. And more importantly treasure.
• The guard and warden to one of the Order of the Magi, an experienced veteran of many battles, tasked with keeping the magus safe from bodily harm. They have done many things in service to their master and will continue to do so.

However, your ideas are your own, and I enjoy being surprised by the creativity of others. Perhaps you'd like to play an intelligent greathound capable of speaking with Men. Or you'd like to play a dragon only just hatched. Or whatever your imagination conjures. Let me know, and we can work something out! :)

Is this Middle-earth?

No. While it may seem I have taken liberally from Middle-earth (I have, as well as from elsewhere), I see it as simply a source for inspiration. This game takes place in a world with a separate cosmology and history, though it evokes many of the same themes from the books that I love and cherish.

What do you mean by "home-brewed system"?

The system I'm using is more about using a quick resolution mechanic, to get the mechanics out of the way of the story and the fiction. Rolling a d20 with bonuses and penalties versus a specific target number is pretty easy to reason about.

If you are more interested in optimizing your build, killing everything in sight, and gaining treasure, this is probably not the game for you. Nor are we going to go into lengthy combats every time, with round by round blow-by-blows. That's not the point of this game.

I'm far more excited about exploring interesting characters in a fantastical milieu. :)

So this is freeform?

No. It's far more involved than simply freeform or even guided freeform or even freeform with rolls thrown in. We're using the Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition ruleset, with many of the class features, spells, et cetera from that system, but home-brewed to be able to play a game about good versus evil.

Luckily, there's a handy Reference: System document if you're curious.

What about game balance?

I take a more nuanced approach to balance than is espoused in D&D. Remember that this game isn't about combat per se. As long as every character has something interesting to do, I don't see a really huge problem. Often in stories you have an ensemble cast of characters with widely differing skillsets. You can have Frodo, Sam, Gandalf, Legolas, Gimli, and Aragorn in the same company and the same story.

A Tolkienesque style

How does one write like Tolkien? How indeed? How does one paint like Michelangelo, for that matter? Or move like Jagger?

Some basic tips:

• Write in an intentionally archaic style. Not Shakespearean, but certainly not contemporary.
• Avoid anachronisms, modern expressions (Elrond never said “Whoa! Awesome, dude!”), and excessive use of contractions.
• Read some Tolkien (or listen to some of his works in audio) to get a feel for the man’s style. If it’s been a while, crack open one of his master works and give yourself a little refresher!
• This is a very interesting short essay written by Hilarius and Felix: How to Write Like Tolkien. It’s a ninety second read, but it offers a couple of very practical pointers.

Campaign Precepts

These are some important campaign precepts to keep in mind when creating characters and playing the game.

Heroes are heroic. In this game, there is an expectation of heroism. This means certain behaviours commonly found in other games are out of place here. The company don’t steal from one another, or try to get the biggest slice of pie: they proactively help and care for one another. Where player characters in other games may choose to intimidate, steal, murder, rob and hoard gold, eventually becoming a tyrant, these aren’t things we would see here in our story. The heroes are bonded by a common Enemy and actively strive with one another, though of course they may falter from time to time from the righteous path.

Some characters may rise to this expectation and do great good. Others, may fail, and redeem themselves only in death or through great suffering. The right path may not always be clear, nor easy. It may not even be achievable – Frodo, for example, did his best, but still failed at the climax of the quest of the Ring – but there is always a moral choice to be made.

The road goes on, but the journey is greater than the destination. Most epic fantasy heroes undertake great journeys and must overcome peril and hardship on the way. The world is wide and little-travelled. Most people never stray far from where they were born, and there is little communication between North and South, East and West. Some races were even seen as figures out of legends in some places, as most had never seen an elf, a dwarf, or even a hobbit.

The years are long. The world is an ancient place, with a rich and varied history. To the elves, these passing years are a trifle, for they are immortal and recall the Elder Days. All others, though, are mortal and have short lives; the deeds of their ancestors have passed into legend and are mostly forgotten, save in the stories and songs that are a key part of their own lore. Players should keep this in mind, that there is a history to the world that is waiting to be discovered.

Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, this game will take place over extended periods of time. Some quests might play out over only a few short months, but in general, this game will unfold slowly, with time to breathe in between adventures.

The Long Defeat in a Fallen World. The battle between Good and Evil, Light and Dark, is a history of defeat after defeat suffered by the Light punctuated by bright, fleeting victories over the Dark. Good is not an unassailable force, but is instead constantly chipped away at over the long years. It is an endless struggle, and while one Dark Lord may fall, one will surely rise to take its place.

Deliverance arrives as all seems lost. Tolkien coined the term eucatastrophe for the joyful turning of the tide at the darkest of hours. In short, "The Eagles are coming!"

However, the heroes should not rely upon deus ex machina to get them out of tight spots or to solve their problems for them. It is by their own heroic actions that the grace of the gods comes, after all.

Style

I expect players to think about their characters' inner life and thoughts and feelings and be descriptive about such in their posts. Some players have only posted their outward physical actions, which is fine for some games, but not the ones I run. I'm interested in character arcs and narratives and emotional pay-offs and so forth.

Lay out your character's backstory gradually. The tendency of most players is to get it all out at the beginning, sometimes in the first post. I've had some players whose first posts were their entire backstory, with 1000 words or more.

Don't do that.

Not only is it contravention to the posting guidelines, but we're just getting to know the characters, the world, the story. The less you spill, the more that is retained. Leave us wanting more, instead of wanting to skim.

Collaboration

I expect players to be open to collaboration in the fiction. I'll rein you back if I feel you come up with something that contradicts the world, but players should generally be open to suggestions from other players and the GM. We're all in charge of the fiction together. You can write for another NPC, just as much as I can. Someone else can even chime in and move other characters around if their idea makes for a more interesting story.

I'm even okay with player characters moving other player characters, with each other's permission, of course. Comfort levels may vary, but if I was playing Doc Brown, and another was playing Marty, it wouldn't be too much of a stretch for me to move Marty in such a way:


If you do move another PC or NPC, be sure to be open to making edits if someone says you're doing something to make them go out of character.

Regarding Romance

I'll leave it up to the players whether they'll engage their characters in a romance. Personally, I prefer for romance to arise organically in the story, as opposed to something that is forced or the "point" or the main driver of a game.

Nice as romance is, my aims and interests do not revolve around romance, but instead are concerned with the overarching narrative and the character arcs I'm trying to build in complicated webs between the characters. Romance can play its part, and maybe even a vital part for some arcs, but keep in mind that it's only one part amidst many others. o
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:25, Thu 16 Feb 2023.