Newbs-Only

[Claymore]

If you're new to WoD in general

Ok. Let's start with the basics. Years ago, a publishing company called White Wolf came out with a series of Role-Play books, the sum of which created the "World of Darkness"- which is pretty much 'all things supernatural'. Vampires (Kindred), Magi, Werewolves (Lupine), ghosts (Wraiths)... ect. Each race has its own society, factions, politics, history... it gets very intricate. Most of it is based on actual myths and obscure religious references, and occasionally you’ll see elements that seem to have been inspired by books or movies.

Vampires live among Humans, masquerading as Humans, and more or less controlling various aspects of their lives without most Mortals ever being the wiser. They often create and work through Ghouls, Humans with some superhuman abilities, as the daytime slaves to these Kindred. And they're often at odds with the other supernatural races, with other Kindred factions, and with the monstrous 'Beast' within them that constantly tries to take control. That's pretty over-simplistic, but as far as the general concept goes, that's it in a nutshell.

If you’re new to VtR


All the information you'll need to build your character can be found somewhere in this section. The following post walks you through how the stats work, and the other threads have the list of choices you'll need to skim through to decide what your character is capable of.

Each Kindred is a member of one of five Clans that they're Embraced into based on whatever your Sire was. Listed here are those clans and their typical behaviors. The way these stereotypes are maintained is that these are the attributes a member of a particular Clan typically looks for in a potential Childe. Also listed are Disciplines that come with being of that clan. They're not the only ones you have access to, but 'out of clan' Disciplines are harder to obtain.

-Ventrue are the businessmen and politicians. (Viktor, from Underworld)
Clan Disciplines: Animalism, Dominate, Resilience
Favored Attributes: Presence or Resolve

-Mekhet are the magic users and occultists. (I need a good example here. Suggestions?)
Clan Disciplines: Auspex, Celerity, Obfuscate
Favored Attributes: Intelligence or Wits

-Nosferatu are creepy information mongers and techies. (Max Shrek, from Shadow of the Vampire)
Clan Disciplines: Nightmare, Obfuscate, Vigor
Favored Attributes: Composure or Strength

-Gangrel are animalistic, aggressive, and in tune with nature. (David, from the Lost Boys)
Clan Disciplines: Animalism, Protean, Resilience
Favored Attributes: Composure or Stamina

-Daeva are passionate, sensual, and creative. (Loui, from Interview with the Vampire)
Clan Disciplines: Celerity, Majesty, Vigor
Favored Attributes: Dexterity or Manipulation

-Caitiff is the label for not knowing what clan you are. However for stats purposes, you'll still have to chose one of the first five. Unlike the Masquerade system, there's no such thing as a Kindred with thin enough blood to not actually have a clan affiliation. "Caitiff" is strictly an IC term.

Additional clans include:
- Julii
- Akhud
- House Petrovnavich
- House Semeonovic
- House Alexander
- House Grigorvich
- House Irinavici
- House Marisovich
- House Dubrov

Yes... I'm probably the only ST you'll ever know who's knowledgeable and bold (or foolish) enough to even acknowledge the existence of the last nine "clans". However as to the likelihood of being allowed to play one, I'll put it like this; if you have to ask for any of the details about them, don't bother asking to play it. The only reason they're listed at all is to let you know that yes, I might possibly consider the notion of thinking about being convinced you can handle playing one properly under my close supervision in a fashion designed to aid the overall game. The same goes for non-Kindred supernaturals. To quote page 254 of the VtR book,

"Vampire: The Requiem presumes that all undead lineages are equally worthy for players’ characters. No vampire lineage in this book or any supplement receives a black hat and an “Enemy — Do Not Play” stamp along with the Embrace."

But you're really going to have to sell it.

However Mortals with a WoD plot hook, or some of the other supplemental source books are just fine. Remember, it never hurts to ask.

Bloodlines are optional subsets of the Clans with various advantages, disadvantages, and dispositions. But there are too many to list off here, and it’s actually possible (though very difficult) to create your own or change over to a different one in-game. After you chose your clan, just ask and I’ll provide a list of Bloodlines within that clan that I think you might be interested in, based on your character concept and the likelihood of that bloodline existing in this region.

Then come the Covenants. These are organizations of Kindred that aren't exclusive to any particular clan (though the clans will tend to favor some more than others). They could be considered political and/or religious groups. The relation of Clan vs. Covenant is analogous to Family vs. Philosophy. And more often than not, Covenant loyalty supersedes Clan loyalty. Also listed here are the stat advantages to being a member of each one. Also note that it's not always against the rules of one Covenant that you can't also be a part of another.

-Carthians most closely resemble VtM Anarchs. They believe that the system of government that works for humans, can work for Kindred as well. They believe that the current Kindred system (which is loosely based on a Roman hierarchy) is too far out of date to work in modern times. They tend to lean toward being either democratic or communist. But most of all, they’re inclined to rebel against authority in general. Carthians may purchase the Influence Merits at half the normal experience-point costs (rounding up). This cost break does not apply to purchases of these Merits during character creation.

-The Circle of the Crone worship a goddess as the progenitor of all Vampires. Her supposed name and form varies, though one of the more common references would be Lilith, first wife of Adam turned succubus, mother of all monsters. They also believe that Kindred have always been a natural part of this world, rather than an abomination. In practice, this Covenant resembles paganistic faiths. The Circle of the Crone may learn the Discipline of Crúac up to your level of Covenant Status.

-Invictus are in a sense, the 'old guard'. They are the Knights, landlords, and dictators. They borrow much of their mindset from Ancient Rome, and often seek positions of power and leadership. (For those of you familiar with VtM, This Covenant most closely resembles the Camarilla. But in this system, the Camarilla faded into nothing but a vague memory centuries ago.) The Invictus may purchase the Herd, Mentor, Resources and Retainer Merits at half the normal experience-point costs (rounding up). This cost break does not apply to purchases of these Merits during character creation.

-Lancea Sanctum, 'Vampires for God', and arguably a non-villain incarnation of VtM's Sabbat, or the non-secular side of the Camarilla. They believe that the progenitor of all Kindred was the Roman Soldier, Longinus, who stabbed Christ with the ‘Spear of Destiny’ and accidentally swallowed some of the blood from the wound. Members of this Covenant believe that their abilities are meant to be used to serve God. However like many who believe themselves to be divine tools, this philosophy is prone to getting twisted through selfish goals. The Lancea Sanctum may learn the Discipline of Theban Sorcery up to your level of Covenant Status.

-The Ordo Dracul believes that the creator of Kindred was Vlad Tepes, otherwise known as Dracula. His teachings are heavily based on evolution of oneself, mostly in a spiritual sense. This Covenant is also more involved in rituals and magic than most others, but it also tends to take a very scientific approach to them. They seek their own form of Enlightenment, a way to transcend ‘the mere test that is the curse of Vampirism’ to a state of higher being. The Ordo Dracul may learn the Coils of the Dragon up to your level of Covenant Status.

-And finally, the Unaligned, or 'Unbound' as they prefer to call themselves. This isn’t actually a covenant, just a categorical label. This is pretty self-explanatory. It's made of mostly of Neonates who prefer not to be bound by the rules set in place by a particular Covenant. In VtM terms, these would be the ‘Independents’.

Then there's also Belial's Brood, which are essentially the VtR equivalent of VtM's Infernalists. But like the additional nine clans, it takes a very rare and special case to play one.

The Political Structure

Titles listed in parenthesis aren’t usually necessary for smaller cities. And although the names and specific functions of these titles may vary based on what Covenant is ruling the Domain, most will have a structure pretty close to this. Kindred can hold more than one title, and there may be more than one Kindred of a particular title within a Domain.

Prince- This is the political leader of all Kindred within a Domain, which usually encompasses one city. His job is to keep the city safe from external threats, and make sure that the Traditions and Masquerade aren’t broken.

(Regent)- Regents run the “tenurial domains”, sub-domains of regions that are too big for a single Prince.

Seneschal- If the Prince were the President, the Seneschal would be the Chief of Staff. When it comes to the day-to-day activities that need to be handled by the city’s top brass, the Seneschal carries the same authority as the Prince.

(Herald)- The Herald is the Prince’s mouthpiece. When the Prince makes an announcement, the Herald’s job is to make sure that all of the city’s Kindred hear of it. The Herald hands down judgment, represents the Prince in proxy, and otherwise serves as something of a “Secretary of State”. The Herald is assumed to speak with the Prince’s voice at all times.

Sheriff- Self-explanatory. The Sheriff is the one who enforces the laws passed down by the Prince. If needed, the Sheriff is also in charge of rallying together a group of Kindred to fight an external threat (or hunt down an internal one).

Primogen- Unlike VtM, these are not the heads of the clans. The Primogen are an advisory counsel to the Prince. They usually consist of Elders with enough self-made power that in itself demonstrates a certain level of wisdom a Prince would want to hear. The strength of the Prince determines the strength of the Counsel. Sometimes they will be advisers and nothing more. Sometimes they take on the roll of representatives or sub-leaders. And sometimes they can even combine forces to remove a Prince.

(Priscus)- The Prisci are the informal heads of a specific clan in a domain. This can be a deliberate choice, or it might result from prestige given by clanmates. The position is not an official one and therefore has no institutional power or rank. That said, the title does convey a substantial amount of status, and because it’s usually powerful and well-respected Kindred who attain the position, the Prince is wise to at least consider their opinions.

(Whip)- (This is not the Primogen assistant you’re use to from VtM.) This Whip is an informal a position. Though often mistaken for the Priscus’s assistant, the two positions are independent of each other and often at odds. It is responsible for “inspiring” clanmates to present a united face on major issues and to make their voices heard. A Whip succeeds only as long as it has sufficient power or leverage to force its clanmates to do as he or she wishes.

Harpy- As in VtM, the Harpy wields a great deal of social power among Kindred. However the VtR interpretation of this title is slightly different from the VtM one in that it can be either official or unofficial. Harpys who attained their influence and position unofficially, through nothing more than personal power and charisma, are often more respected than those who are appointed by Prince or Primogen. An unofficial Harpy probably calls things as he or she truly sees them, whereas an appointed Harpy is usually believed (accurately or not) to be a shill or even propagandist for the Prince.

(Hound)- Essentially the same as the VtM Scourge. The Hound is nothing more than an assassin. The only difference in VtR is it can work as much for the Primogen as it does for the Prince.

(Master of Elysium)- Elysium is the official meeting place for all Kindred in a particular Domain (and there can be more than one). The Master of Elysium, (identical to VtM's Keeper of Elysium) is in essence a combination master of ceremonies and groundskeeper. The Master of Elysium is responsible for maintaining Elysium, ensuring its readiness for court or other official functions, cleaning up afterward, and making sure that word of specific Elysium-related events reaches those who must attend. The Master of Elysium is also responsible for enforcing the custom of nonviolence at such gatherings, and he often works hand-in-hand with the Sheriff for such purposes.

[Claymore]

For those of you who have no experience with the system, this is your step-by-step to building a sheet. And there is enough information in the other posts here to actually muddle through character creation without needing access to the books. I’ve also designed the sheet to give a little more information on how to fill it out than the official format. You’re welcome to wait for me to work with you individually if you want, but at please have a look at this first and see if it makes any sense.

Step 1) Choose your concept. Obviously. I’d recommend against basing it on the real you, as this actually makes it harder to get in-character, and harder to not take in-game events too personally. Usually what I like to do is draw some inspiration from one or two movie or book characters that look like they’d be fun to play, and base a personality and concept around that. If you’re still a little fuzzy on the feel of the game, think ‘Vampire Secret Societies’, as in Underworld, Anne Rice, or True Blood. And somewhere between ‘cliché’ and ‘off the wall’ is where you’ll find a good idea.

Step 2) Choose your clan and covenant. A summery of each can be found in the WoD Intro post. This is simple enough; which ideologies would best suit your character.

Step 3) Choose your skills. They’re pretty self-explanatory, and organized as Mental, Physical, and Social. Remember, at this stage, no stat here can exceed three dots.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Skills 11/7/4 (3 Specialties)
~~~~ (-3 Unskilled)~~~~~~~~~~~~ (-1 Unskilled) ~~~~~~~~~~~ (-1 Unskilled)
Academics_________ OOOOO Athletics_________ OOOOO Animal Ken________ OOOOO
Computer__________ OOOOO Unarmed___________ OOOOO Empathy___________ OOOOO
Crafts____________ OOOOO Drive_____________ OOOOO Expression________ OOOOO
Investigation_____ OOOOO Firearms__________ OOOOO Intimidation______ OOOOO
Medicine__________ OOOOO Larceny___________ OOOOO Persuasion________ OOOOO
Occult____________ OOOOO Stealth___________ OOOOO Socialization_____ OOOOO
Politics__________ OOOOO Survival__________ OOOOO Streetwise________ OOOOO
Science___________ OOOOO Melee_____________ OOOOO Subterfuge________ OOOOO

The OOOOOs are 'empty dots', indicating the maximum that you could possibly have in a particular stat. A 'filled in' dot is represented by an @ symbol. In this character sheet, you’ll find a number next to the title of each portion. This is how many free dots you get to spend in that section. In the case of Skills, there are three. You can spread these out how you like. Put 7 dots in Mental, 11 in Physical, and 4 in Social. Or put 11, 4, and 7, respectively. Or some other combination.

The next line down shows penalties that are inflicted on dice pools for which you have no dots in the related skill. (Your dice pool is the number of d10s you get to roll for a particular action.) So if you want to hack a computer, but you have no dots in Computer, your dice pool to do so is reduced by 3. If that reduction makes your total dice 0 or less, you have to roll a ‘luck die’, a single d10 for which only a 10 is a success.

You also get 3 ‘specialties’ to apply to your skills. These have to be very specific subsets of a particular skill, but there is no list to choose from. The sky’s the limit. Any time a situation comes up involving that specialty, you get +1 dice to your pool. For example, let’s say you have 3 dots in Crafts with a specialty in mechanics. If you want to make a quilt, the Craft skill only adds 3 dice. If you want to fix a car, the Craft skill gives you 4.

Step 4) Attributes. First of all, almost any dice pool will be a combination of one Attribute, and one Skill. Merits can also add to your pool depending on the circumstances. Most of this can be figured out just by looking.

~~~~~~~~~~Attributes 5/4/3 (+1 Clan Favored Attribute)
~~~~~Power: Intelligence__ @OOOO Strength______ @OOOO Presence______ @OOOO
~~~Finesse: Wits__________ @OOOO Dexterity_____ @OOOO Manipulation__ @OOOO
Resistance: Resolve_______ @OOOO Stamina_______ @OOOO Composure_____ @OOOO

Let’s say for example, your character is caught in a situation where he or she has to make a hair-pin turn while doing 50 miles an hour. Looking at the sheet, you’ll see a Drive skill. That part is a no-brainer. (By the way, you don’t need dots in Drive to be able to drive. Only to be able to drive well.) What Attribute makes the most sense to go with that? It’s not a mental action, and certainly not social. That leaves the physical Attributes of Strength, Dexterity, and Stamina. Well the wheel isn’t that hard to turn, and it’s not going to wear you out. So the most logical dice pool would be Dex + Drive.

As a rule of thumb, any pool of 6 or above is respectable. Of those, only the dice that come up 8 or above is considered a success. 10s are a success in addition to a re-roll. 1s are botches, meaning something backfires. They also cancel out successes. So your pool effectively represents your odds of success, but is not a guarantee. In contested actions for example, (rolls that are challenged by an opposing roll, such as intimidation vs. resistance,) the victor is whoever has more successes, not who has more dice.

So understanding that, you start out with one dot in every Attribute. You then have 5, 4, and 3 more dots to place in each category as with Skills. Again, no stat here can exceed level 3. However each clan may add an additional free dot in one of two attributes, listed in the ‘WoD Intro’ post, which may be used for level 4.

Step 5) Derived Traits: As you can see, many of these are based on what values you apply to your Attributes. The ones that list only a base value can only be changed with Merits, which will be discussed later.

Other Traits
~~~~~Humanity (Base 7):
~~~~~Potency (Base 2):
~~~~~Size (Base 5):
~~~~~Defense (≤Wits&≤Dex):
~~~~~Initiative (Dex+Comp):
~~~~~Speed (Str+Dex+Size):
~~~~~Willpower (Res+Comp):
~~~~~-Current: OOOOOOOOOOOO
~~~~~Vitae (9+Potency):
~~~~~-Current: OOOOOOOOOOOOO
~~~~~Health (Stam+Size):
~~~~~-Damage: OOOOOOOOOOOO
~~~~~--Wound Penalties=...
~~~~~--(Health-Dmg-3) if<0:

Humanity: More or less how ethical your character is. This trait pertains to how well your character can resist the “Beast” within each Vampire. In in-character terms, the definition of the beast can vary. Some think it’s just an instinctual nature that’s more prevalent in Kindred because of their lack of a soul. Some think it is their soul, blackened and angry because it’s unable to move on to the afterlife. Whatever it is, when it takes over, you become nothing but a mindless, aggressive monster of pure instinct. The mot common triggers for this are when a Kindred become extremely scared, injured, angry, or hungry. Your Humanity is also your maximum dice pool for any action taken during the day. And you can sell off up to two points of it at a value of 5XP each.

Blood Potency: Strictly speaking, your blood potency goes up one dot for every 50 years awake, and down a dot for every 25 years in Torpor, a coma-like sleep that all Kindred have to go into when their potency gets too high. Other Kindred can sense this about you. If it’s higher than theirs, they’re intimidated. If it’s lower, they have a certain dominance over you. If it’s equal, upon your first meeting with that Kindred, if you’re not prepared, you feel an animalistic need to fight and see who’s more dominant.

Size: Self-explanatory, and is used in other derived stats.

Defense: Your defense is either your Dex or Wits, whichever is lower. When being attacked, the attacker’s dice pool is reduced by a number of dice equal to your defense before they roll. If you choose to sacrifice your attack on your turn, you can dodge, by way of doubling your defense during their next attack.

Initiative: Before any combat takes place, each party rolls a single d10, and adds their Dex and Comp. Whoever’s highest goes first.

Speed: Your size plus strength plus dexterity equals a number of yards your character can move in a single turn. At the expense of your defense, you can run twice this number.

Willpower: Resolve + Composure equals the number of willpower dots you get to play with. These have a variety of functions. One is that you can spend a WP to add 3 dice to any roll. They can also be used to activate certain Disciplines. Disciplines will be discussed later. You gain back one willpower for every time you fulfill your character’s Vice, and two for every time you fulfill a Virtue. Virtues and Vices will be discussed later on. It also recharges after sleeping for the day.

Vitae: This is the name for Kindred blood, or ‘blood points’. Similar to WP, BP can be used to add +2 to any physical action (and can even be spent at the same time). Your potency determines the number of BPs that can be spent per turn. But in this game, no one will be able to spend more than one. It can also be used to activate Disciplines and heal wounds. The way to gain this back is to feed. I believe (and this is a detail I have to look up,) most Humans have 5 blood points to offer before dieing. Unlike Willpower, this does not refill each day. On the contrary, it costs 1 BP just to wake up.

Health: How many hits you can take. This part may get a little complicated, because there are three kinds of damage. Bashing damage is received from any kind of blunt-object or unarmed attack. Lethal is caused by guns and blades. Lethal is the kind that will kill Mortals. And Aggravated is caused by extreme damage, such as by fire or sunlight. This kind takes a very long time to heal. The only way to really explain this is in an example. Say your character has a health of 5, shown as 5 empty damage cells.
OOOOO
Someone is whaling on your character with a baseball bat that does 3B. (That’s pretty high for just a bat, but just go with it.) Bashing is represented with a slash.
/ / / OO
First notice that of the three right-most cells, one of them now has damage marked in it. (It doesn’t matter what kind.) This means that your character is suffering –1 to any subsequent physical action. Let’s say here, they then get shot, for a damage of 1 lethal, marked with an X. The more serious type of damage is marked left to right, and any pre-existing damage is bumped to the right. (Any that ‘fall off’ the right of the damage meter are ignored.) So your damage meter now looks like this.
x / / / O
-1 -2 -3
Note that your character is now suffering a –2 penalty to physical actions. Let’s hit them once more with that bat, for 3 bashing damage. One point of that will be shown in the last empty cell with a slash. The other two go back to the beginning, left to right, and effectively ‘upgrade’ the pre-existing kinds of damage. So the point of Lethal becomes Aggravated, and the first point of Bashing becomes Lethal. The meter will look like this:
* x / / /
Kindred with all cells filled with Lethal damage have to roll a number of dice equal to their Stamina to stay conscious. (Only one success is needed.) When the meter fills with Aggravated, they die. When you spend blood to heal, at a value of 1 point for one damage, damage is healed right to left. So the less severe types heal first.

[Claymore]

Step 6) Merits: You get 7 dots worth of merits free. Choose any from the ‘Merit List’ post. This is where you can put some real strategy into building your character, and is arguably the most complicated and most useful part of your character.

Step 7) Disciplines: Each Clan has a set of three disciplines that they’re particularly adept at. The details are in the Discipline List post. The one listed in italics is exclusive to that clan, and sometimes protected by it. You get three dots to spend here. At least two of those dots have to be spent on one of the three ‘in-clan disciplines’. The third one may be spent on any of the others. However ‘out of clan disciplines’ usually need some form of justification for your character having that knowledge, except for the physical ones. Those are Vigor (strength), Celerity (speed), and Resilience (Toughness).

Step 8) Virtue and Vice: Choose one from each of these categories that would be your character’s favorite:
Virtues: Charity, Faith, Fortitude, Hope, Justice, Prudence, Temperance
Vices: Envy, Gluttony, Greed, Lust, Pride, Sloth, Wrath
After you've spent some willpower, fulfilling your virtue or vice through RP is how you regain it without having to wait for a day's rest.

Step 9) Everything else:
At this point, your character is pretty well done. We can work out your equipment stats in person quickly enough, I just need to know what sort of items your character would likely have on them. Flaws and Derangements can sometimes yield XP bonuses, but are really not necessary, and often more of a hindrance than anything. Sorcery and Rituals pertain to the three Covenant-specific Disciplines, and expenditures on them get a little weird. That’s best explained in person. If you see something about them in the Discipline list you like, just ask, and I’ll work with you on how to get it. Devotions are, for an XP price, a combination of certain Disciplines to form a new ability. Again, if you spot something you like, ask.

Step 10) Spending XP: In this game, you’ll be starting out with 35XP to be spent anywhere. XP may be used to purchase level 4 in anything. But level 5 is not allowed at character generation. And all of it has to be used up here, unless you have just one or two left you can’t do anything with. The price per dot in each category is usually exponential. For example, Disciplines are 5XP, times the dot level you’re trying to acquire. For example, buying your way up from 0 to level 3 would cost you 30XP. 5 for level one, plus 10 for level two, plus 15 for level 3. (Starting to understand the level 3 cap on most categories now, yes? Prevents min/maxing; the act of being badass at only one thing, and sucking at everything else, simply because it’s effectively a good XP value.) You’ll find all the XP costs on the lower right corner of your character sheet.

Finally, make sure you’re spending it efficiently. Use your free dots on the highest valued stats within a particular category, so you can spend the XP on the cheapest. For example, you could allocate your free dots like this:

~~~~~ Power: Intelligence__ @@OOO Strength______ @@@OO Presence______ @@OOO
~~~ Finesse: Wits__________ @@OOO Dexterity_____ @@OOO Manipulation__ @@@OO
Resistance: Resolve_______ @@OOO Stamina_______ @@@OO Composure_____ @@OOO

And then you can then spend XP like so:

~~~~~ Power: Intelligence__ @@OOO Strength______ @@@OO Presence______ @@OOO
~~~ Finesse: Wits______15XP @@@OO Dexterity_____ @@OOO Manipulation__ @@@OO
Resistance: Resolve_______ @@OOO Stamina_______ @@@OO Composure 15XP @@@OO

15XP for Wits 3, plus 15 for Comp 3 = 30. But it’s more efficient to look at it like this:

~~~~~ Power: Intelligence__ @@OOO Strength______ @@@OO Presence 10XP @@OOO
~~~Finesse: Wits__________ @@@OO Dexterity_____ @@OOO Manipulation__ @@@OO
Resistance: Resolve___10XP @@OOO Stamina_______ @@@OO Composure_____ @@@OO

Same number of free dots per category, and same number total. But 10XP cheaper. This is a surprisingly common mistake, but I’ll be looking out for it in case you still miss something.

[Claymore]

If there's anyone here so green as to be unfamiliar with how to make a good in-character post, I have a few tips for you. Let's start with the basics.

- Grammar
- Spelling
- Grammar
- Colored dialog
- Grammar

To be more specific as to definition;
Grammar: Proper comma use, verb tense, avoidance of run-on sentences, avoidance of instant message shorthand, and proper capitalization. The only exception to rules 1, 3, and 5 there, is if English is not your first language. I understand one or two of you fall into that catagory, so don't even worry about it.

So far, I'm happy to say I've seen very little of these issue in this game so far, but as irritating as it is, it still bears mentioning. But now here's the stuff you might actually find useful.

- Double space between paragraphs
- If you have a block of text more than ten lines long, consider revising to brake it into more than one paragraph for easier readability.
- Try to avoid putting in too many actions in one post. Give me or other players a chance to respond, as the potentially unexpected reactions of other characters in your thread may change whatever else you had planned on following that with.

And finally, possibly the most important part of a post is the 'inconsequential' content. Every once in a while I see the players here falling into a habit that I use to have when I first started playing online games, and that is, posts that are little more than just dialog. Yes, of course, what your character says and how it's said is important. But when you're done writing, look back at it and ask yourself, 'did I give the other characters in this scene something to react to'. Or, 'does this look like more than just my character acting like a statue who just happens to be capable of speech'.

Interaction with the environment, 'flavor text', can be just as important. Look around the scene in-character, mess with something within arm's reach. Clean your glasses, light a cigarette. Have a seat, and go off on a brief tangent on how the chair's design reminds you of something from your character's past that in fact has no bearing whatsoever on the scene. Take some artistic license with exactly how that chair looks, even if I never mentioned it in the introduction of the scene. Consider unspecified details like that a blank page for which to do with as you please, and color the scene a little more.

Describe your facial expression, preferably by analogy rather than just a dry emotional reference. For example, "he clenched his fist and shot a glare at you that most people wear just before stepping on kittens", colors the moment a lot more than just, "he looked angry". Even your choice of words there is important. "Clench", "shot", "glare", and an exaggerated contrast "kittens". I could have said "he made a fist and looked at you with an expression most people have just before hurting something". Sure it says the same thing, but it just feels so soft. The adjectives that work best are the ones that can be associated with the desired emotion even when they're not in that particular context.

Make the reader see and feel all the details that are in your mental image, because remembering what the reader doesn't know about how you envision it is what separates newbs from vets.

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