FAQ

[tabularasa_mods]

Frequently Asked Questions The Basics ▲ Characters & Applications ▼ The World ▲ Influence & Imprints ▼ Questions? The Basics
Q. What is Tabula Rasa?

A. Tabula Rasa is a panfandom roleplaying game set in a completely empty and featureless world—at first, that is. As characters arrive, they bring with them imprints of their own worlds, shaping the setting around them. Everything from forests and cities, mountains and oceans, and even the laws that govern reality can be brought into the empty world. What kind of world it becomes and what direction the games goes in is completely up to the characters that inhabit it.

The game will include elements that encourage exploration, character growth, and a high degree of player control and freedom, as well as opportunities for existential and body horror. Literally anything can be changed with enough influence, including broader game mechanics and the characters themselves. There will be no overarching game plot, unless someone decides there's an overarching game plot. We will update this description as the game takes shape.

Events will be a mix of genres, ranging from horror and survival to crack and slice of life, though ultimately the content of events will depend on the game's current characters. Darker and lighter events will be balanced to keep the game from skewing too hard in one direction, and opt-outs will be available when necessary.

Q. What kinds of characters can I play here?

A. We accept canon characters, canon AUs (alternate universes), CRAUs/game transplants, original characters from original universes, malleable protagonists, and some original characters from canon worlds (fandom OCs). Please refer to the question titled "What is your definition of an acceptable fandom OC, and how do they differ from malleable protagonists?" for further details on acceptable fandom OCs.

We do not accept fan-made AUs, depictions of real life persons, and most examples of fandom OCs. Minor canon characters without sufficient material to characterize them may also be rejected. Characters from canons based on real world history will be handled on a case-by-case basis, but as a general rule they must be a distinct character separate from their real-life inspiration and not a stage persona.

We currently do not allow doubles of characters. This includes fandom OCs and malleable protagonists that fill a specific role within their source material (FFXIV's Warrior of Light, Mass Effect's Commander Shepard).

There is currently no age limit on what characters can be applied for. If we feel a character is unsuitable for the setting due to their age, we will handle it on a case-by-case basis.

For further details on what kinds of characters can be applied for and what state they will arrive in, please see the Characters & Applications section further below.

Q. How many characters can I play at once? UPDATED!!

A. Each player may have up to 2 characters at any one time. You cannot play 2 characters from the same canon, and after a character has been accepted you must wait 30 days before you can apply for another one.

If we feel you're struggling with activity or apping and dropping characters frequently within a short period of time, we reserve the right to deny a second character until your activity improves.

Q. Are there any game or cast caps?

A. There will be a cap of 35 players in the game at any one time. As each player may have up to two characters, the maximum character cap will be 70 characters.

Individual casts will be capped at 6 characters per canon. This count will include canon OCs when applicable, as well as canon AUs and direct adaptions.

Franchises that encompass multiple canons but take place in similar or shared universes will be capped at 10 characters total per franchise. This count will include all characters under each individual canon within the franchise. We will decide what does or does not count as part of a franchise on a case-by-case basis. As a general rule, there must be major changes to either the main cast or the story between installations for something to be considered a unique canon within a franchise.

Original characters will not be capped, excluding any fandom OCs that have their own canon section.

Q. What is the activity check?

A. Activity will be checked once a month using a static activity post. Upon acceptance, players will be asked to make a top-level comment to the activity post, and to submit their monthly activity by replying to their top-level. Players may choose to submit their month's activity as soon as they have it, at any time during the month. Activity will be due at the end of each month, and a reminder post will go up on both the OOC comm and Plurk one week before it's due.

Our activity requirements are 2 threads with different characters, each with at least 5 comments from your character. Please see the Activity Check page for full details on our activity rules.

Q. When can I submit an application? Are there app cycles? NEW!!

A. Currently, Tabula Rasa does not have any app cycles and uses an always-open queue system to accept new players into the game. Applications may be submitted at any time, even while all our player slots are full.

If there are no player slots available, applications from new players will be added to a queue and processed as slots become available. If the wait time or size of the queue becomes too large (2+ months or 10+ players), new player applications may be temporarily closed. We will make an announcement on the OOC community as well as on the mod Plurk account if this occurs, and it will be noted prominently on the applications page.

For more detailed information and the current status of our player cap and queue, please see the Applications page.

Q. You said that that there's no overarching plot. Does that mean that there's nothing for characters to investigate or discover in the game? NEW!!

A. Certainly not! When we say "there is no overarching plot," what we mean is that we don't have any kind of plan for where the game will go - everything that happens in the game will be decided on the fly, based purely on character actions and contributions. Just because you as a player know that things don't have meaning doesn't mean that the characters know this, and whatever the game's characters decide must be true may in fact become a reality. If something exists and you can think of some mystery or explanation that might be behind it, we would encourage you to pursue it!

For example, if enough characters believed that the setting was a virtual simulation and made efforts to try and "hack" into the world's programming, we would adapt the game to allow this interpretation to achieve results and consequences. In this way, we hope to make Tabula Rasa a game where character choices can be impactful and proactive players will feel rewarded for their efforts.

Q. How frequently will events be run? NEW!!

A. Events will typically occur on the 15th of the month, alongside the monthly updates to the game's setting. If there is a central location or incident that the event revolves around, we may also post a mingle log for players to use for the event's duration. Some events may not feature mingle logs if we do not feel it would be necessary, however. If an event requires advance planning or may disrupt characters' plans for the rest of the month, we may also post a pre-event announcement sometime during the first week of the month.

The types of events we run will depend mostly on what sorts of imprints and suggestions we receive from players in the game. To keep things from getting too fast or overwhelming, we will generally aim to have only one large or intensive event every two months, with a more simple or relaxed event in the month between.

For more information on the imprint system and how it may be used for events, please see the Influence & Imprints section further below.

Q. Where can I find a schedule of all the regular mod posts that happen on a monthly basis? NEW!!

A. You may refer to the Calendar post for all of our regularly-scheduled posts.

Test Drive Memes are currently on a bimonthly schedule, occurring on the 1st of every odd month. The current TDM will always be pinned to the top of the meme community, tabularasa_memes.

Q. Are HMD/"How's My Driving?"/critique posts required for this game?

A. We will not require players to have an HMD or crit post. However, we do expect you to provide some way for other players to contact you OOC if they have any concerns. This can be through an open post on your character's journal, private messages, or a link to another page or site where anyone can send you a message. If we do not feel your method of contact is accessible enough, we may ask you to turn on private messages or put a contact post on your character's journal.

This does not mean that players can ignore critique, or that we won't hold our players to any standards of ICness. We're just not going to enforce putting up a crit post when most crit posts don't get much use anyway.

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Characters & Applications
Q. What is your definition of a malleable protagonist?

A. A malleable protagonist is a character that has an established role in an existing canon, but details of their backstory and/or personality are left open to interpretation. A character that falls into this category may still have distinct personality traits, background details, and relationships with canon characters that are outlined within their canon. Malleable protagonist-type characters will be treated closer to canon characters when it comes to applications, and your depiction of the character will be expected to match how they're presented in their source material. You may fill in the blanks where needed, but as a general rule your app should not contain any headcanon that contradicts the source material or adds dramatic changes to the character's backstory that may cause problems for canon castmates.

A malleable protagonist character may have existing relationships with canon characters. However, other players from your canon are not required to accept your interpretation of the character as "theirs" and may use their own headcanons when needed. Blame it on alternate realities.

Some examples of what we would consider malleable protagonists would be Commander Shepard from Mass Effect, The Inquisitor from Dragon Age, and The Warrior of Light from FFXIV.

Q. What is your definition of an acceptable fandom OC, and how do they differ from malleable protagonists?

A. A fandom OC is a completely original character made for an existing canon setting. Unlike a malleable protagonist, a fandom OC does not fill a specific role within their canon and does not have any pre-set background, personality, or relationships with canon characters. All details of a fandom OC have been created by the player within the established setting of the canon.

At this time, we will only allow fandom OCs for canons that have been specifically designed for character creation. Some examples of acceptable canons for fandom OCs would be tabletop RPG settings such as Dungeons & Dragons or Vampire: The Masquerade and most MMOs with character creation. As a general rule, fandom OCs may not have any pre-existing relationships with canon characters and should not play a major role in a canon's overarching story. Fandom OCs will be subject to cast caps for their canon.

Since there's a lot of grey area in how a fandom OC can be defined, all applications for fandom OCs will be handled on a case-by-case basis. If you're unsure if a particular character would be appable, please contact the mods.

Q. Does my character need to be human, or can I play an animal/anthro/alien/robot?

A. Characters do not need to be human, and you do not need to humanize your character to play them here. What we do require is that characters must be sapient and intelligent enough to interact with other characters to be appable. If you're unsure about a particular character, please contact the mods.

Currently, non-human characters will arrive in their original form, at their original size. If your character's size is an issue, you may choose to adjust them to human scale on arrival by requesting it on your app. If your character's form is an issue, or if they do not have a physical body at all, please contact the mods. We'll work something out.

Q. Can I play a pair of characters from the same canon as a single character?

A. If it's two characters that share a body or soul, you may apply for both characters together as a single character slot. You can also choose to only play one of the two characters and have the second character "separated" from them on arrival. If you decide to play both together, your app will be expected to reflect this and we may ask for more details on the secondary character. If you decide not to play both characters and the second character has enough material to be considered appable, someone may apply for that character with their own separate body.

For cases such as pets, summons, and other sentient companions that don't fit into the above scenario, they can be brought with your character on arrival or regained at a later date provided the companion character is not appable by our standards. If the companion character is appable, we may ask that they not be brought in with your character.

If the two characters simply spend a lot of time together, then most likely you will not be allowed to play both.

If you're unsure about how your character(s) fit into these guidelines, please contact the mods. Unusual character circumstances like these will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

Q. How long do I have to wait if I want to play a character from a new canon?

A. One month. The source material must be available in English to be appable, and an official English release is preferred over fan translations.

This wait period also extends to canon points, for characters from ongoing series, as well as canon updates. If the latest material hasn't been available for at least one month yet, please wait before updating or applying for a character from that canon point.

Q. Does my character get to keep their powers?

A. Short answer: yes, but no.

Long answer: when characters arrive in the empty world, nothing is truly "taken" from them. If they have supernatural powers, mutant genes, or special biology, they aren't going to suddenly lose those parts of themselves. However, the world itself may not understand how those abilities work. Until it does, those abilities won't function.

Because the world will constantly be growing and changing to suit the characters that inhabit it, this is a tricky question to give a straight answer to. As a baseline, all characters will be roughly equal to a regular human in terms of physical strength and endurance. Cosmetic and some residual aspects of powers can be kept. Extra body parts such as tails or wings will still behave as normal, though actions such as flight may not be possible.

As the game develops, characters may regain access to their natural abilities, or they may learn to use entirely new abilities. Please refer to the State Of The World page for details on the current state of the setting and how it may affect characters.

Q. Can you elaborate on what sorts of cosmetic aspects and residual powers characters get to keep?

A. Generally speaking, characters should feel "normal" when they arrive, and it may not be immediately obvious that their abilities aren't working. It's up to you how you want to interpret that, but effects centered purely on the self without any external reach will generally seem fine. For example, a character with magic powers who's used to sensing mana will still be able to sense that mana in themselves, though they may find themselves unable to detect it in anyone or anything else. A telepath won't feel anything wrong when trying to read minds, though it may seem like everyone's minds are completely blank. If two characters share a body their individual consciousnesses will function as normal, though they may run into trouble depending on how they're used to running the body together. As long as you're not giving your character an obvious advantage they shouldn't have access to yet, it's generally fine to assume the "foundation" of their abilities is still in place.

For cosmetic aspects, anything that's a physical part of their body is fine to keep. Characters that can shape shift or "summon" extra body parts such as wings may be stuck in their current appearance, however. Whether this appearance includes extra body parts or not is up to you. Body parts that are more magical in nature than physical, such as a pair of wings made of glowing light, will only be possible if the current state of the setting allows for it.

If you're unsure about a particular character's situation or want some guidance on how to handle it, please contact the mods. We'll be happy to help you sort things out.

Q. Can my character bring any items with them on arrival?

A. Only the clothes on their back, anything they're carrying on them at the time, and a metaphysical imprint of their homeworld—but we'll get to that later.

Items with supernatural qualities will be subject to the same rules as character abilities. Unless changes have been made to the setting to allow for it, all magical objects will be completely ordinary by default. Please refer to the State Of The World page for details on the current state of the setting and how it may affect items.

Q. Can my character bring a pet or animal companion with them?

A. Only if that animal is on their person at the time, which may make things a little complicated depending on the circumstances. For example, a Pokemon trainer may have their team of active Pokemon with them, but they'll likely be stored in Pokeballs. If the world doesn't understand how a Pokeball works, those creatures will be stuck in there until it does. A creature that can be summoned or transformed with magic may be stuck in un-summoned form. So, yes, carried objects can include pets and companions, but they'll be subject to the same rules as abilities and non-sentient items.

If you character has more than one pet or animal companion, we may restrict how many they can bring with them on arrival so they aren't given a large advantage over other characters. This will be handled on a per-canon basis and will change as the game's setting develops, so please ask in advance if you're unsure about a character.

If a pet or animal companion is appable as their own character according to our standards, we may ask that you either have your character leave them behind or include the companion on your app as a separate character. Please see the question "Can I play a pair of characters from the same canon as a single character?" for further details.

Q. Can my character regain any additional items from home after their arrival?

A. Yes, regaining more items (including pets and animal companions) beyond what your character arrives with will be possible. Please see the Influence & Imprints section for more details on how items can be regained.

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The World
Q. Does this world have a name? UPDATED!!

A. The world does not currently have an official name. However, many characters have taken to calling it "the Void," named after the endless white expanse that surrounds it on all sides.

For clarity, in OOC announcements and info posts we will refer to the game's setting as either "the world" or "the Void" with a capital V.

Q. What is the world like? What pages should I look at to find specific information? UPDATED!!

A. This is a complicated question to answer. The nature of the world is constantly shifting, adapting itself to the characters that inhabit it in both physical and metaphysical ways. To make this a little easier to keep track of, we have dedicated pages for describing the setting as it currently is.

The Locations page contains a list of all physical locations that currently exist within the world, including reference images and detailed descriptions of each location's unique features and quirks. If a character makes a direct change to the setting, such as building a new structure or breaking a known landmark, a comment should be left on this page to notify the mods and other players of the change.

The Bestiary page contains images and descriptions for all the native creatures of the world. It also lists all of the species subgroups that currently exist, including any shared traits they carry and which creatures or characters fall under each subgroup. If you believe your character should fall under one of these subgroups, you may submit your species request through this page.

The State Of The World page covers all other unusual details of the setting, ranging from the behavior of physics and characters' bodily needs to the state of magic and technology that can function within the world. This page should be used as a secondary FAQ for basic questions about how the setting currently works, and may also be used as a resource for prompt ideas.

All three of these pages will be updated frequently as the setting adapts and changes. These changes will always be listed in the monthly Imprint Updates posted to the OOC community, typically at the middle and end of each month.

For more general information on how the world will adapt to characters and change over time, you can continue down to the Influence & Imprints section of the FAQ below.

Q. How does my character arrive?

A. Characters arrive suddenly and inexplicably. One moment they're somewhere else and the next they're not. Trying to think too hard about it might give them a headache—it feels like they've forgotten something, like there should be an explanation for how they got here... but, at least for now, no one can come up with one.

Q. Can my character leave? UPDATED!!

A. No, characters cannot willingly leave the world at this time. However, this may change in the future depending on character actions and imprints - if characters want to find a way home, they can certainly try and may even succeed in their attempts.

As this would be a major shakeup to the game's mechanics, any changes of this nature will be discussed with the playerbase well in advance, and we will do our best to accommodate anyone who prefers not to give their character the option to return home.

Q. What happens when characters are dropped or put on hiatus?

A. Characters can vanish as abruptly as they arrived. No one will "see" a character vanish, they'll simply be gone the next moment. Much like arrivals, anyone who tries to remember what happened in that exact moment will find only a gnawing lack of a memory.

If a character is put on hiatus, you can either choose to leave them on autopilot or have them temporarily vanish from the world altogether. When they return, it'll feel much the same as when they arrived: they'll have no recollection of where they were, how much time has passed, or how they reappeared.

If you drop a character and decide to app them again, ICly it'll be treated the same as a hiatus.

Q. What happens if I want to canon update my character?

A. For now, this will work the same as a drop or hiatus would, but the character will return with new memories (and physical changes, when applicable) as if they'd gone home. Both sets of memories will feel equally fresh.

Did they actually go home, or is there something else going on that's altering their memories? Good question!

Q. There's a lot of information, and I'm worried about getting something wrong! How much do I need to worry about following the rules of the setting? What happens if I mess something up? NEW!!

A. You're right, there is a lot of information - and we don't expect everyone to follow it to the letter! Mistakes will happen, and we believe that having fun and enjoying the game is more important that following the setting strictly. After all, the world of Tabula Rasa is constantly changing and being influenced by characters, so it's within the game's very logic for those rules to occasionally bend or break. Overall, we believe in adhering to the spirit of the rule over the word of the rule. If you make an honest mistake or forget a certain detail, it's okay to roll with it as a "glitch" in the setting rather than retcon the interaction.

For example: if the current state of the world says that fire doesn't burn, but a character sticks their hand in a fire and burns themselves, the character they're threading with can stick their hand in that very same fire and feel nothing. This interaction could also end with both characters getting burned, or the first character trying again and not getting burned on the second try. If both players make the same mistake and assume that fire doesn't burn when it should, they can both continue to play out their thread as if that were the case. All of these options are perfectly valid!

To give an example of something that would not be in the spirit of the rule: if the setting doesn't currently support any kind of magic, a character ignoring that rule and "accidentally" using their magic powers anyway would not be allowed. We're putting our faith in everyone to be reasonable, but basically we're only going to ask for players to retcon these mistakes if it's an extreme case. We may also step in if there's a misunderstanding that creates something that doesn't exist and can't be explained away with a difference in perspective - for example, misinterpreting the description of a creature in the setting and "inventing" a new creature. However, even in this case we'd be open to creative solutions to the problem, such as a character only believing they'd seen something and insisting that their cryptid is real.

Q. Why don't some of the creatures in the bestiary have names? UPDATED!!

A. Because they don't have names yet! Names will be added to the bestiary over time, as characters make up their own names for things and define the world around them. Locations may also be named or re-named over time, and things may even end up with multiple names.

We will periodically hold species naming polls for creature names once we've felt everyone has had enough time with the new creature to come up with ideas. Depending on the results and player turnout, the final name may be a single winner, a fusion of multiple suggestions, or we may run a second poll to include new suggestions and break ties.

Q. What kinds of items and random objects can be found in locations?

A. As long as it's within reason, you're free to assume any common, regular items can be found in locations that match. For example, you wouldn't be surprised to find plates and silverware in a kitchen, but a loaded gun in a toy store would be very out of place. Unless it's specifically mentioned in the location's description somewhere, characters cannot find anything unusually large or mismatched just laying around somewhere.

The same goes for personal items belonging to a character - even if it's literally their own room that's been imprinted on the world, generic items found in the location may be similar to their own possessions but will not be an exact copy. A character could find a notebook that looks just like the one they had at home, but it would not contain any personal notes or markings that would confirm it as theirs.

Q. Will resources within the world ever regenerate or restock themselves, or is there a limited supply of everything? NEW!!

A. For the sake of player convenience, and because the world is still struggling with object permanence, resources and common items found within the world will regenerate at random and infrequent intervals, usually right before the resource runs out completely. Resources will only regenerate when no one is observing them. Some locations may also rotate their inventory on a regular basis, which will always be noted in the location's description.

Resources and limited-use items brought in by characters, such as regains, will not normally regenerate once they are used up. However, characters are welcome to try convincing the world that their item should regenerate along with everything else.

Q. Does this game have a network? UPDATED!!

A. Sort of! Currently, there are two methods which characters can use to communicate across large distances. As there is no separate network community for the game, all network-style posts should be posted to the main RP community tabularasa_rp.

Ley lines are natural springs of magical energy that can be used to communicate telepathically. Ley lines exist in static locations around the setting, and participating characters must be within physical reach of the ley line in order to utilize it. Ley line communications cannot be sent privately and will always be observable to other characters within range of a ley line. As such, they are more akin to a public chatroom. Posts that use the ley line network should be marked with the *ley line tag.

Characters defined as part of the Machine subgroup may use an exclusive network to communicate telepathically with other machines. This method of communication has a limited range, but can be extended by linking the minds of machine characters and creatures like a chain. All participants must consent to the communication, meaning that messages may be sent privately across smaller distances. Machine network posts do not currently have their own tag.

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Influence & Imprints
Q. What is "influence"?

A. Influence is the word used for the effect characters have on the empty world. It is more than just a force that allows them to change and shape the world around them. Without influence, characters simply cannot exist. They must exert even a small degree of influence to will their bodies into being, to interact with the world and people around them, and to have individual thoughts and awareness. A character with no influence cannot exist in any way, shape, or form. They are not even a disembodied mind or soul - they do not exist.

Fortunately, influence isn't difficult to have. You don't have to do anything outstanding or special to have influence. If a character exists in the world, they already have enough of it to get them by. All characters in the game will arrive with enough influence to exist and have a unique sense of self.

Q. Besides existing, what else can characters do with their influence?

A. Anything and everything. However, directing that influence willingly isn't something so easily done. In most cases, especially early on, characters' influence will affect the world in unpredictable and unintended ways.

"Influence" is also the term used for our points system. Characters can earn influence by passing activity checks and participating in the game. Once enough influence has been accrued it can then be spent on additional imprints and regains for the character - but we'll get to that shortly.

Q. What is an "imprint"?

A. Imprint is the word we will use for any change to the world caused by a character's influence. In a weird sort of way, the characters themselves are also imprints. Anything that's been brought into existence within the world is an imprint of someone's influence.

In general, imprints are formed from a character's individual understanding of how the world works. Imprints can be anything from objects and places to abstract ideas and beliefs. Just by existing, a character is exerting their influence by perceiving the world around them. Imprints can be formed from memories of a character's world, or they can be formed from active attempts to explain the world around them.

As characters think and feel and exist as individuals, the world will draw from those thoughts and feelings and create "imprints" of them upon itself. This is how the world grows and shapes itself around the characters within it.

Q. This all sounds very complicated. Can you break it down a bit so it's easier to understand?

A. Sure. There are two factors that can be used to describe an imprint: it's type and method.

An imprint's type describes how it manifests within the world and is mostly self-explanatory. The four imprint types are scenery, species, objects and concepts. Anything non-physical will generally fall under concept, while anything physical will be classified as either scenery, species or object depending on its sentience, size and scope.

An imprint's method describes how and from whom an imprint is formed, as well as how the imprint is submitted by the player. The two imprint methods are canon imprints and organic imprints. Canon imprints can be of any imprint type and are submited solely by players, based off of parts of their characters' canon worlds. This includes the initial imprint given on a character's app. Canon imprints are generally very specific to a character's canon and will be mixed with other character's imprints when implemented into the world. Organic imprints are natural changes within the setting that are not specifically requested by characters, but instead brought on in direct response to character actions. They may also cover more general aspects of the world that wouldn't make sense as a canon imprint request.

There are also regains. Regains are a special category of imprint in that they are not actually "imprints", though they are requested in a manner similar to imprints. Regains are any physical items or pets taken directly from a character's canon, such as the items in a character's inventory that they bring with them on arrival. Due to how the imprint system works, abilities and special powers cannot be regains unless they're tied to a physical component a character can receive.

Q. Tell me more about the imprint types.

A. Imprints can be divided into four basic types: scenery, species, objects and concepts. These categories may overlap or mix at times, but any change to the world caused by influence will fall into at least one of these categories.

• Scenery defines anything that can be described as a location. This can include many smaller components, such as a forest composed of varied plants and animals, or a city composed of buildings and man-made objects. The individual parts (for example: the inside of buildings) may lack details or behave in unusual ways, but the area as a whole will be identifiable as the place or type of place it's intended to be.
  
  Imprints of scenery will also at times blend together, combining with other imprints to create "zones" within the world. A zone may be composed of similar scenery that fits a theme, such as a forest or city, or it may mix together in an unexpected way, such as a modern city that's been completely overgrown with trees and plants. A zone may also contain other non-scenery imprints that exist independently of it, such as a species of deer that makes it's home within a forest zone but may sometimes wander out to other areas.


• Species are living plants or creatures that have enough detail to be considered unique entities, existing separately from any environments they might inhabit. Species may develop from the scenery over time, or they may come into being unrelated to any specific scenery. Species may have sentience and intelligence, though it will require significantly more influence from characters to create imprints of intelligent species. Species may be a single, unique creature or a collection of similar creatures that share the same traits. Species are not tied to any one zone, though they may make a single zone their home and prefer to remain in that area.
  
  Characters in the game are, technically, counted as their own "species", and may be divided up into unique species groups as their differences become better defined. Any living pets or companions characters bring with them are also counted as "species". If it is alive and independent of any specific zone, it is a type of species.


• Objects are singular, unique items that have enough detail to be considered separate from the scenery. Unlike species, objects are not sentient, though they may acquire sentience and later be classified as a type of species. Any items characters bring with them on arrival will count as objects, as would any items from home they may "regain" in the future.
  
  Parts and features of scenery are not considered "objects", as they are defined by their surroundings. Though items that are part of a zone's scenery may be removed, something only becomes defined as an object when it gains additional details and purpose that would make it a unique item. The object definition will also be used for any physically-manifesting imprints that are not alive like species or tied to any one zone or location like scenery.


• Concepts are broader metaphysical ideas that define the laws of the world. Physics, time, death, and magic are some examples of concepts that may be altered or built upon within the world. A concept may be very specific, or it may be very broad. Concepts may affect and shape how other imprints in the world function, including other concepts.
  
  A single concept should be simple enough to explain in one sentence; anything more complicated than that would be considered a combination of multiple concepts mixed together. For example, "people die when they are killed" would be one concept. "Magic is composed of four primary elements" would be one concept, but defining each of those elements in more detail would be a new concept for each one, as would the concept of magic itself.

For examples of imprints that are currently affecting the setting, please see the Locations and State Of The World pages.

Q. Tell me more about the imprint methods.

A. In addition to the four primary imprint types, there are also two methods of forming imprints: canon imprints and organic imprints. Like with the types there may be overlap between these two methods, though all imprints will fall under at least one category.

• Canon imprints are imprints caused by a specific character, based on their own memories and experiences from their homeworld. A canon imprint can be nearly anything, from physical places and creatures to metaphysical concepts, but will always be directly inspired by a character's canon. These imprints will then be mixed with other imprints to form the basis of the world.
  
  When you apply, you will be prompted to give us a description of either one set of scenery or one collective species to imprint on the world. This initial imprint will always be a canon imprint. Further canon imprints may be requested by spending influence through the Canon Imprints & Regains page.


• Organic imprints are imprints that the world develops all on its own, based on the interactions between characters and the setting rather than direct player requests. An organic imprint can be as simple as defining a species of tree from its scenery to as complex as introducing entirely new concepts. While canon imprints are the main method in which characters will directly influence the setting, the world will continue to adapt and grow as characters continue to interact with it. Organic imprints are the world's way of filling in the gaps, making sense of the world that the characters have created and fitting all the pieces together.
  
  Currently, players may suggest threads on the Organic Imprints page for consideration, but what changes result from character actions will be decided solely by the mod team. When considering organic imprints we will be looking at what characters have been doing within the setting to decide how those actions will influence the world. We will specifically be looking for instances of characters interacting with the setting in creative ways, so if your character is just having small talk then we're unlikely to look to that thread for inspiration.

Q. Tell me more about regains.

A. The imprint system may also be used for regains, allowing characters to obtain new items and pets from home that didn't come with them on arrival. Regains may be requested through the Canon Imprints & Regains page.

A regain as defined within Tabula Rasa is any physical item or pet taken directly from a character's homeworld. Regains are subject to all of the world's current rules and restrictions, such as technology and supernatural powers, and will not be altered or fused with other imprints when implemented. Special abilities and powers that do not have a physical component cannot be used for regains.

Anything that can be added to a character's inventory on arrival can be later used as a regain, without the restriction of having to be on the character's person. This means that larger items such as vehicles can also be regains, or items that a character owns but wouldn't normally carry around. The only restrictions that apply to regains are that the requested item must belong to your character in some way, and living creatures such as pets or summons cannot be appable characters.

If two or more characters request the same unique item or creature as a regain, even if that item/creature should only have one copy in existence, an additional, identical copy will be made for each character that requests it.

Q. If I submit more than one imprint idea on my app, can I resubmit the unused imprints later?

A. Of course! We allow players to choose up to three imprints on their app, but only one will be used as their initial imprint. This is so we don't have to give revisions if two players pick the same imprint idea by chance, or if a player can't decide between several different ideas. If an imprint submitted on your app doesn't get used, you're more than welcome to resubmit it later through the Canon Imprints & Regains page.

Q. If I'm playing a CRAU character, can I submit an imprint for something from my character's previous game? Can my CRAU character regain items from their previous game? NEW!!

A. Imprints and regains based on CRAUs will be allowed on a case-by-case basis. If we feel a particular imprint or regain is too many times removed from your character, or if it would pull too heavily from another active Dreamwidth RP, we will be more inclined to reject it. We would like the setting of Tabula Rasa to reflect the characters that are in the game, not your character's CR from a previous game. Likewise, we would prefer not to copy core mechanics or iconic locations from other active games in order to keep our own game distinct.

Q. Is there a limit to how large or detailed an imprinted location can be? NEW!!

A. When submitting an imprint, we do have a hard limit on word count so as not to overwhelm the mods with information - we would prefer it if players stuck to just the important details they want to see used, as the final imprint will be mixed with other player submissions to create something unique.

As for physical size, there is no limit to how large or small a location can be. An entire cityscape would be a valid submission, as would a single room. There will be a difference between imprints presented as one large area vs smaller chunks, however. In general, imprints of larger areas will have fewer details while smaller areas will be given more details. We can't dedicate a huge amount of text and reference images to one imprint from one canon that also takes up a huge chunk of the game's setting, so for larger pieces of scenery more focus would be put on the overall appearance of what's being imprinted and at most one or two key features.

Q. Are characters aware that they're influencing the setting, or do they get to choose ICly what imprints they create in the world?

A. At this time, characters have no way to directly control their influence on the world. As time passes and characters learn more about their situation, they may experiment and come up with their own ways to try and control what imprints they cause. Yes, the world can be influenced to give characters a way to more directly influence it. Try not to think too hard about it.

On an OOC level, you will always have the option to have your character cause imprints that they wouldn't willingly create.

Q. How and when will imprints be applied to the setting? UPDATED!!

A. Imprints submitted by players will not go into effect immediately. After an app or imprint has been approved, it will be added to a queue and processed in roughly chronological order. Since imprints are meant to be mixed together, we may process certain imprints early or put them off depending on what else is currently in the queue. We may also put aside some imprints to use as part of large-scale game events. Imprint Updates will be posted to the OOC community around the middle and end of each month, detailing all of the new changes to the game's setting.

The average turnaround time for imprints is around 1-2 months. If it has been longer than 3 months and your imprint still hasn't been added to the game, you may reach out to us to check if something may have gotten lost. If we are having difficulty implementing your idea for whatever reason, we may ask you for additional details or suggestions on how you would prefer your imprint to be used.

Q. Can two or more characters combine their influence to put towards one imprint?

A. You cannot "give" influence to another player or character, or use influence from one character to pay for imprints on your second character. When paying for an imprint, the full cost must be paid for by a single character. It wouldn't make sense for one character's increase in influence to cause a completely different character to create an imprint on the world.

However, characters may collaborate by spending their points on similar imprints that they intend to mix together. If two proposed imprints are similar enough in nature, their effects may be amplified.

Q. Tell me more about collaborating on imprints. UPDATED!!

A. Similar imprints may be submitted by two characters separately in order to strengthen the effects of the final imprint. This strategy may also be used to "speed up" the process of putting together complex ideas or locations comprised of multiple imprints. If you're both submitting an imprint for the same location, species or concept, we suggest highlighting different aspects of the imprint in each submission so we know what details you want to see focused on. For example, two characters may submit imprints based on their canon's magic system, with one player focusing on the types of magic that can be produced and the second player focusing on how spellcasting is performed.

If we feel that too many people are submitting the same imprints over and over again, we may ask that you pick something else to give the game a little more variety. The intent is for imprints to mix together, not for aspects of your character's canon to be imported wholesale.

Q. Are imprints on the world permanent, or will they disappear over time?

A. Imprints don't have a set expiration. However, as more imprints are added to the world newer imprints may contradict and "overwrite" older ones.

On an OOC level, we will try to keep a healthy balance of influence between different canons. If one canon is larger or is otherwise creating many more imprints than other canons represented in the game, we are more likely to have imprints from that canon phased out over time. You may still submit imprint requests for that canon, but older or lesser-used imprints from that canon will be blended in or overwritten by newer imprints.

Our aim is to keep the game fun and fresh for everyone in the game. If a certain imprint or feature is popular among a large number of players, we are more likely to keep it in the game and blend it in with other things rather than remove it completely. However, even if an imprint is removed from the game you may still request it a second time.

Q. What happens to my character's imprints if I drop them from the game? UPDATED!!

A. Imprints won't immediately vanish the moment a character does. Imprints are a lasting impression, after all, so they'll linger beyond the time each character spends within the world. Imprints from dropped characters will be more likely to be overwritten as newer imprints are added, though.

If your character has acquired any regains when they're dropped, you may choose to give those regains to other characters that are still in the game (with their permission). If you choose to do this, those regains will belong to those players and they may use them as they please. You must specify what characters each regain is going to in your drop comment. We also reserve the right to refuse certain regains from being passed on to other characters if we feel an item has been passed around too many times or is too powerful to be left in the game. If you do not choose this option, regains will vanish alongside the dropped character.

Q. What happens if I want to add an imprint that would change how the game works in a major way, such as affecting OOC game mechanics, plot, or the game's overall tone?

A. Yes, imprints may have an effect on how the game works on an OOC level. However, the mods have a final say in what does or does not get changed about the game. An imprint may be rejected if we feel it is changing too much too quickly, or if it would cause an unwanted change in overall direction for the game. We're running the show here, so it's only fair that we get to decide how much work we need to do and what sorts of rules will apply to our players.

Sometimes, an imprint may be proposed that would have a large-scale effect on the game that some players may disagree with. First of all, we ask that all of our players understand that changing and adapting the game is the core concept behind Tabula Rasa. Major changes to the game's mechanics can and will happen over time. If you have concerns over a particular change being implemented you are always welcome to approach us, and we may reject or alter imprints proposed by players if we feel it would have a negative impact overall if implemented as-is.

If we feel a particular change to the game would be divisive among the playerbase, but not so extreme to be rejected outright, we will present the proposed imprint to the game as a whole and allow a discussion to take place over whether the change should go through or not. Compromises may be suggested by players during this time, and we will aim for a result that the majority of the playerbase feels is satisfying.

Q. Are there any changes that you can promise won't happen to the game on an OOC level?

A. There are a few guidelines we wish to follow when making any largescale, sweeping changes to the game as a whole. Anything listed below will not be implemented in the game without serious, extensive discussion.

• Changes to acceptable characters. We have chosen to disallow doubles and fandom OCs for specific modding-related reasons, so we will not be lifting those restrictions on player input alone. Likewise, we will not suddenly disallow specific types of characters or canons even if you can come up with a compelling reason for why they wouldn't be able to enter the world anymore.


• Changes to the player, cast and franchise caps. As with changes to acceptable characters, we have chosen these caps for modding-related reasons. If we decide to increase or lower any of the player/character caps, it will be a decision made based on the comfort of the current mod team.


• Changes to other OOC mechanics that do not affect the game on an IC level. This includes aspects of the game such as the application process, hiatuses, drops, activity checks, and so on. While there may be features of the game tied to these mechanics, such as the method in which characters appear in/leave the game world, the actual OOC rules and processes will still be determined solely by the mod team. We may make changes to these mechanics in the future and have them tie in with IC changes, however.


• Age restrictions and sexual content. As this game is not age-restricted, we will not implement features in the game that are strictly sexual in nature or that would force characters to perform sexual acts. We also won't limit the ages of appable characters based on player input alone. We would like this game to open to a wide variety of players and characters, so any changes to age limits will be a mod decision.


• Potentially triggering content will always have an opt-out. Aside from elements that are already built into the setting, we will always try to provide an option for players to avoid content that makes them uncomfortable whenever possible, and we will try to provide a variety of options during events to appeal to different kinds of players. You may not be able to have your character "ignore" the fact that certain content exists in the game, but you will not be required to play up aspects of the game you don't wish to participate in. However, please note that we will not always be able to appeal to everyone in the game, and you may be left out of some events if you choose to opt-out of certain content. If you find that a lot of events and content within the game make you uncomfortable to the point where you cannot participate, this may not be the game for you.


• Breaking the fourth wall. Probably. It might get a bit too weird if characters being aware of their existence as fictional RP accounts becomes an in-game mechanic.

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Comments

[forethinking]

Hi again! On that same note, I got another question on influence/regains. The imprints page currently says:

You may only spend influence based on the previous month's influence counts. This means that even if you finish filling out your May activity by May 15th, you cannot spend the influence you gained in May until June 1st, or the end of the May activity period.

Does that mean no points can be submitted until a character's second month of activity?

Thank you!

[tabularasa_mods]

That is correct!