People of Lismoria -
One of the topics that frequently comes up around our RP is the notion that there's never enough going on. We've got a modest amount of Event Coordinators, but they may not always be around to run a scene, or in the mood to do so.
That said, there's only so much chat to be done about the weather, theories of magic and religion, and so forth. Sometimes conflict is needed to create a good scene, or some sort of problem for the characters to deal with.
With that in mind, I've written up a proposed draft of how to handle this need. Please have a look and let us know what you think, we're looking for feedback.
As you read, please bear in mind that anyone that attempts to powergame the system is going to get smacked.
For reference, this document is available on the Unofficial Lismore Wiki:
http://lismore.wikia.com/wiki/Scenes_for_non-ECs
So you want to run a scene?Awesome! Scenes are the bread and butter of a roleplay area like ours, and we want people to be able to run scenes for their friends and fellow players. That said, there are a few ground rules. Here are two base rules that should be followed no matter what sort of scene you want to run.
1) Try to create fun for those around you as well as yourself. When someone else runs a scene, you would presumably want them to have the same goal in mind. Exercise good judgment. And it bears repeating - have fun!
2) Don't be an ass. This includes randomly ganking other characters, running scenes that do nothing more than making other characters pay attention to you, etc. It also includes trying to be a rules lawyer regarding the rules on this page. If we catch you doing it, you'll be banned from running scenes, if not shown the door.
On to other options.
If you want to simply play your character and create a ruckus, do a little dance, gather people for story time, feel free. You've got a character card, feel free to use it. Make some magic happen.
If you want to set up a staged scene and add an NPC or three, here are the rules. They are going to read like a list of "don'ts", but be brave and bear with us. In freeform RP, in many ways the sky's the limit, so documenting what you can or should do would be a massive undertaking. At some point in the future, we'll probably write up a page with some pointers and suggestions.
* Don't be disruptive to people RPing in public. While it might seem fun to you to have a bunch of ninjas storm the tavern, the two people in the corner sipping wine and flirting probably won't agree. (Open question for the staff: Do we want to say it's okay to start a scene if there's no one else around? I'd lean towards yes. First-come, first-served. Err on the side of creating RP. If half the people that show up want to join the scene, and half the people don't, then RP has been fostered and that's good. The others can find someplace else to play for that night.)
* The scene has to be in keeping with something that could happen reasonably in the location you hold the scene. Three merchants on the docks turn out to be dark elves in disguise? Sure. Six battle robots land in the middle of the market and start launching missiles? No. If in doubt, ask an EC or GM if something seems reasonable.
* As a follow-on to the above, remember the base theme for the various areas. Most of the main areas should be assumed to have guards or observers. Your band of hooligans running amok in the streets would be picked up by the guards. That blood sacrifice at the temple would be stopped by the temple guardians.
* Unapproved scenes will have no long-running impact outside the players voluntarily involved.
Okay* Yar Smackypants had his sword broken, but it stayed in one piece long enough for him to take out those bandits. Hopefully the four silver coins he got from the attackers will be enough to have it repaired.
* Lia Softheart re-unites with her long lost sister. With a little time and love, maybe she can be nursed back to health, and Lia and her friends can go after her captor.
* Penn Needlenose kills the shady sailor and discovers a silver key with the letter "B" engraved on it. But what does the key open?
In general: People will come away with possibly a little bit of financial or other gain, but mostly just a story.
Not okay* Clan Fire Bandanna shows up and uses their flaming bandannas to light the library on fire!
* Alia Dann discovers she's really a princess and her parents arrive with her army, mobile palace, and 60 quintillion golden coins.
In general: The world will keep on keeping on as it was before the scene, though things may change for the players voluntarily involved.
* If you don't want people to join your scene, don't hold it in public. Feel free to conduct it via an IM group, or feel free to go to a designated RP sandbox. For example, if you want to say your scene is on the Zenko grounds but you don't want interruptions, feel free to run your scene in private. Just remember that if you're in a public place, people would notice anything obviously amiss. Again, if in doubt, talk to an EC or GM.
* In-character actions still have in-character consequences, even in private scenes. If it comes to light that your character backstabbed a bunch of innocent people, your character will be punished by the IC authorities. That said, it is acceptable to have Obvious Bad Guy NPCs in your scene whose sole role in life is to be vanquished by the PCs. Where vanquishing can be capturing, chasing off, or turned into tasty salsa for vampires and carnivores.
* NPCs, be they humanoids, animals, or monsters, are limited in power to normal human-level abilities as defined in the character rules for characters who do not need character cards for approved play. You may portray up to ten such NPCs in a scene.
If there is a chance of character death from your NPCs, you must inform everyone before you start. It's just good manners to let people know how deadly a scene is apt to be.
* If your scene involves characters that are under 18, there can be nothing sexual involved in the scene. Additionally, characters under 18 cannot come to any physical harm.
Other Notes* If you feel like running a scene, and you don't have a set group of players in mind, announce it! "Hey everyone, I'm thinking about having a scene in the woods involving a couple of monsters disrupting the local wildlife. It's probably most interesting to nature types or combat types, but everyone's welcome. I'd like to keep the group to six or smaller."
* It's your scene, so you get to pick who plays, and you get to lay out what's going on. If you see the wrong people gearing up to join, say so. Honesty up front saves heartache later. "Hey, Gunther Broadswordface, I notice you're coming along to help Team Kittenhug gather shed goose down. This probably isn't the scene for you, and the other players probably aren't going to have fun if you just kill all the animals for fun, as you usually do. You sure you want to come along?"
If you're still reading at this point, good on you, and we hope you'll have some fun with telling some stories.
