FAQ

[calderamods]

Frequently Asked Questions

App Related

What kind of characters can I app?
Canon and original characters (including TTRPG) over the age of 18. Malleable protagonists such as the Warrior of Light, Inquisitor, Warden, Tav, Durge, etc are all acceptable but only 1* will be allowed per fandom and they apply to the fandom character cap.

*Tav and Durge are counted as separate characters, thus allowing one of each.

What characters can I NOT app?
Real people, characters under the age of 18, and fandom OCs (excluding malleable protagonists such as the Warrior of Light, Tav, Warden, etc) are not allowed.

Can I age my character up to be over the age of 18?
No. They must use their canon age. Without any canon age listed, that will be left to mod discretion. Characters who are child-coded (like a 500 year old dragon in a child’s body) are not allowed. Characters who have a canonical time skip that ages them up (like Luffy from One Piece) must be played after the canon point in time where their age is over 18.

CRAU characters under the age of 18 that have spent enough time within a game to age up to 18+ can be apped.

What about items?
Characters arrive with nothing from home but the clothes (and mundane accessories) on their backs. If they arrive in magical or enchanted clothing/armor, said enchantments are stripped and must be obtained via rewards just the same as powers would. Weapons, mundane or otherwise, do not arrive with them and must be purchased via rewards.

They will however find an unfamiliar gemstone (either a sapphire (Undine), emerald (Dryad) or white opal (Sylph) that can be pressed to the body and worn as any manner of jewelry the character wishes, so long as it's visible. Discarded gems will reappear in the character's quarters the following day, and they are key to obtaining faction-based skills.

How many characters can I play at once?
As many as you believe you can manage while making check-in and being active. You may app two per cycle.

Are CRAUs allowed?
Yes, along with abilities obtained in said games, although they must be purchased through the rewards system like canon abilities.

When can characters from new canons be applied?
Characters from a newly released canons (or spinoff, sequel, etc) can be applied for two weeks after the airdate.

Setting Related
What are the factions?
Detailed descriptions: here. Tldr; they are the three main groups working together to keep Caldera functioning. Each has a corresponding set of principles the characters have been chosen to represent, and are offered special abilities according to each when they complete special quests the leaders have assigned.

How are factions chosen?
Factions are chosen based on which resonates with the characters soul and this can be played however you wish. Perhaps they are adventurous and risk taking, so they are inclined toward Sylph. Or maybe they're already a healer and wish to continue down that path so they choose Undine. This is very flexible.

Is there a metaplot?
Caldera will have an overarching plot centered around saving the world from destruction caused by, as far as Visitors know now, unknown reasons.

What are events like?
Events will focus primarily around the above mentioned plot, offering characters glimpses into how terrible the situation is and giving them plenty of options to assist - or not. There will also be slice of life events sprinkled in for those inclined towards such things, but this is essentially an action adventure game at its core.

Do we have to do quests? Are we punished for not doing them?
Not necessarily, but the monthly stipend offered to those from other worlds is minimal and would take quite some time to collect enough Bones (see below) to obtain your abilities and other awards. Quests are also the only way to gain the special powers of each faction.

How thorough does a quest thread need to be to obtain rewards?
Quest threads can be submitted at any time. However, if we notice a habit of quests being submitted with only a handful of comments and then dropped after they are turned in, we will speak with you. Use your best judgement.

Will there be other ways for characters to obtain bones than quests in the future?
Maybe! We are definitely watching balancing and the intent is that lower star level quests can be completed without powers. Regaining everything is supposed to be an achievement, so it's expected to take a bit of time before anyone can do some of the larger quests together.

Bones? What is that?
Bones are the currency used for everything from rewards to hand-waved IC interactions. They are thin, round coins with engravings of the three leaders on them.

Are characters able to share/gift bones to each other?
Rather than sharing bones, players would need to purchase a reward for another character. So you could purchase a full canon power regain for someone else, but not gift them the 500 bones directly. You cannot purchase faction-specific rewards for someone else--only canon powers and general rewards.

We will allow pooling of bones for things like business licenses.

What is the technology like?
Technology is what you would expect in a traditional fantasy setting. If your character is high tech (like a cyborg) they will need to work extra hard to regain full functionality by working with other players to set up a small infrastructure to do so.

Is there a network?
Yes, but it is a newly implemented system that cannot [currently] access video, only text and voice. Each new arrival is given a small device shaped like a bird (of their choosing) holding a scroll in its talons and a quill in its beak. To send a text simply remove the quill and tap the scroll for it to unroll, then write your message. The text will vanish and be sent to the recipient. Any incoming messages will be alerted with a birdsong and the scroll unfurling with the message written.

To use voice, tap the bird's head and its beak will open. Speak the recipient's name to be connected. You can now hear each other's voices once they answer the incoming birdsong. Text-to-speech is available for illiterate characters.

Where will my character live?
Wherever they want within reason. There are various types of houses available in each of the three realms, and so long as everyone isn't suddenly living in a castle and the low-tech fantasy laws are abided by, there is no limit to the imagination.

Is sex allowed?
Yes, which is the main reason for the 18+ character rule. While not explicitly a sex game, expect such themes to appear in quests and events every so often (though they are never required).

Is death permanent? Can the dead be resurrected by characters with this ability in canon?
Upon arrival, the Tavernkeeper informed Visitors that death is not permanent with one exception.* There is a three day minimum before they are returned to the world. This process can be sped up by two or more characters performing a ritual to resurrect the deceased one. Resurrection spells outside of this do not work. (And could even have odd consequences).

*Those who commit acts that do not align with the values of Caldera will not be granted rebirth as others might; the Leaders will not invest in those that do not give them ample reason to do so.

Criminal atrocities are frowned upon and the Leaders will not bring someone back from death if they are known to make problems without good reason. However, making oneself useful to one or more of the Leaders might give them a bit more motivation to make an exception for you, bringing you back despite your transgressions. In such cases where the Leaders refuse to revive you, even the Ritual will not be enough to bring you back (this will result in a permanent death and the character must be dropped from the game).

What about canon updates?
Canon updates are allowed with a fun narrative as to how they work here!

Timezone and ooc/ic day ratio
Caldera operates on a 1:1 ratio and all dates and times are equated to Eastern Standard Time.

Activity
What are the activity requirements?
Starting February 2025, we have implemented a Check-In system that requires a short summary of what your character has done during the month. This will come with the chance to gain 100 bonus Bones for submitting a thread that reached the previous AC requirement (a single thread with 5 comments from you) that is made in the log community caldera.

What about hiatuses?
Hiatuses can be taken for up to one month at a time. Any hiatus consisting of two weeks or more allows you to be exempt from check-in that month. Emergency situations can be discussed on a case by case basis. You must still note this hiatus on your AC form.

Powers and Abilities

Do characters keep their powers upon arrival?
Nope! They will need to regain purchase powers with rewards–the reason for this being it took a lot of magic to bring them to Caldera and they need to earn their place before the leaders can expend their little extra magic to regain such things.

How do we earn our canon abilities back?
Obtaining enough Bones will allow you to purchase your canon abilities (and additional rewards, if you'd like) from the reward shop.

How do we earn faction-related abilities?
Doing quests for each faction will award currency. You can purchase faction-related abilities from a different faction, but you have a steep discount on abilities from your own faction.

If a character's abilities are sourced from an entity not in-game, how does that work with regains?
Powers and abilities granted by a deity or similar could be obtained all at once with a full power regain, as they would all fall under the same umbrella (the deity) and could not be purchased singularly if connected to them. They would not be able to communicate with their deity but would have their usual powerset.

My character is a cyborg/vampire/etc; are there any restrictions for this?
For characters that need specific things to survive (like vampires that need blood) can be assumed to have such things provided to them at no cost.

For someone like a cyborg, they will arrive without the ability for any enhancements of their body to work but the limbs will be functional (unless you as the player decide otherwise) but functionality can be restored with rewards similar to other characters’ powers.

Characters that require mobility devices will have access to those devices, but any enhancements will need to be purchased with rewards.

Vampiric characters are able to walk in sunlight without issue and have no other restrictions placed upon them (running water, can only be invited inside, etc) unless the player wishes to be mean and keep said restrictions.

Would characters be able to keep any ride-along entities, such as the tadpole from BG3?
Such entities will continue to exist within the character but will remain useless until rewards are used to obtain any benefits from them.

With the tadpole, it would be dormant and would not move until powers associated with the tadpole are returned.

How are innate powers handled like darkvision, wings, etc?
Any innate abilities that offer significant advantages over other characters upon arrival (wings/flying, elemental shifting, superstrength, etc) are removed and must be regained through the reward system. Less significant innate abilities such as darkvision or being really good at climbing trees can be retained upon arrival. If uncertain, just ask in your application.

Innate abilities that hinder the character or otherwise offer disadvantages may be kept on a case by case basis. When in doubt: ask the mods!

My characters powers overlap with faction powers, how is this handled?
Faction based abilities essentially work on a different powerset than canon abilities. They are significantly more powerful and it is recommended they are obtained either instead of or on top of canon abilities.

Canon abilities similar to faction ones can sometimes be weaker than their faction counterparts, and in some cases may not work correctly at all. We will address these in reward unlocks and take suggestions for how players think abilities can be nerfed to be fair for everyone. It will mostly need to be handled on a case-by-case basis.

Have a question and it's not listed above? Feel free to ask here!

code bases by tricklet

Comments

[roblet]

Hello mods! Quick question: if a character's ability is based off of an item/weapon they have, where would that sit in the rewards system?

i.e. my character can go briefly incorporeal and interact physically with ghosts and other incorporeal beings, but it requires that he tap into the power of a magical sword.

would i have to regain the weapon and then the power separately to upgrade, both at once, or could just the power itself be regained?

he also technically has a ghost "familiar" that can assist him in battle, but i'm sure (and rightly so) that would require the familiar regain.

[calderamods]

Hello! Since the sword is the catalyst for the power in question, he would only need to obtain the sword to get both, which would fall under a small power regain:

◾ SMALL POWER REGAIN: A single power from the character's canon abilities can be regained.

The familiar would actually qualify under a small power regain as well, as we believe canon powers should be more easily obtained than something game-specific. (We will be altering the rewards with regards to this).

[harrowment]

Hi mods! Very excited for this 👀 Just a few mechanic questions:

1) If a character's abilities are sourced from an entity not in-game (clerics and paladins in d&d for example), how does that work with regains?

2) Is death permanent? If so, can they be resurrected by characters with this ability in canon?

3) Would characters be able to keep any ride-along entities? (ex. parasites in BG3, digital Handsome Jack in Borderlands)

[calderamods]

Hello! Thanks for the questions.

1. Powers and abilities granted by a deity could be obtained all at once with a full power regain, as they would all fall under the same umbrella (the god(dess)) and could not be purchased singularly if connected to them. They would not be able to communicate with their deity but would have their usual powerset.

2. Death is not permanent and the mods are currently weeping over the fact that we forgot to add this.

Death in Caldera is oddly rare, but when it does happen, there is a three day minimum before they are returned to the world. This process can be sped up by two or more characters performing a ritual to resurrect the deceased one. Resurrection spells outside of this do not work. (And could even have odd consequences).

3. Such entities will continue to exist within the character but will remain useless until rewards are used to obtain any benefits from them.

[dangerhands]

Aside from powers being locked on arrival, what items, if any, from home do characters arrive with? Is it just the clothes on their back and nothing else?

[calderamods]

Characters will arrive with nothing save the clothes on their back and items necessary for survival (blood packs for vampires, assistive devices, etc.). All other items can be earned back through rewards.

[moontied]

I have a full OC that's built for Exandria (Critical Role) which can now be used as a setting for D&D games with two sourcebooks published to work with 5e. Would he count as a "fandom OC" if he doesn't actually interact with any of the Critical Role campaign storylines?

edit: I have no idea how it posted twice when I tried to edit it, sorry!

[calderamods]

No worries, and thanks for the question!

As long as the OC doesn’t have any existing connection to the Critical Role campaign or characters from it, they’d be classified as a TTRPG OC and welcome to apply!

[nibbling]

apologies if this was all stated somewhere and i'm too dumb to see it.

do characters have any say wrt which faction they're sorted into? i know it says characters choose a faction - is it based entirely on their own choice? for example, if a character wanted to switch factions icly? would a character who was canon updated retain the same faction as they apped in with, or would it depend on their characteristics as of the canon update?

[calderamods]

No worries, it is kind of vaguely talked about in the rewards but we can elaborate further:

Characters do choose their own faction upon arrival. If a character wants to switch factions, they can do so by purchasing the "faction change" reward which comes with some stipulations:

◾ FACTION CHANGE: You can change factions, but lose any faction rewards earned at a discount from your previous faction. You may re-purchase them for full price if you wish. You do not get a retroactive discount on any rewards previously purchased while a member of another faction (i.e. if you were Sylph but switched to Dryad, any Dryad powers will not get a refund).

However--thanks to your question, we've also decided to add a caveat that a canon update allows the player a single FREE faction change where the character can keep their previously purchased powers! We'll elaborate more on this in the FAQ. Hopefully that answers your questions!

[duckshaveears]

Hi mods! I'm intrigued but have some questions. Obviously Crowley's powers would need to be significantly nerfed even if he did regain then all, could figure that out later, but what happens in the beginning to more innate things like his having wings (because demon) or being able to turn into a snake (which isn't a power so much as, err, he is a snake-demon)? Would those be gone too?

[calderamods]

Hello! Given the circumstances of their arrival, everyone would be stripped of all abilities until regained via rewards, including innate ones that are not necessary for survival. Both his wings and snake form would fall under the small power regain each (or the full regain to obtain them at the same time with all other abilities).

We would note that his wings and snake form would be slightly less powerful than the faction-related wings (Sylph) and land animal transformation (Dryad) abilities offered, and may even work oddly if use in an environment specific to those faction-related powers.

[shadowedhand]

Another question of about canon powers~

For someone like, say, a wizard - someone who is not bound to a deity or any other external power but who had to learn to use magic, who has been studying for the better part of their lives. The only options on the rewards page are a single power vs. full regain. In theory, the single power could be the ability to tap into the weave or whatever to do magic again (congrats you have cantrips and whatever spells you can remember), which could enable them to begin rebuilding their spell repertoire.

Just wanted to run that by you to clarify how it'd work, thanks!

[calderamods]

For something powerful like that, we would probably require a full power regain. The single regain would work for one spell. We do want people to consider fun for everyone involved, but we want to make it easy for characters to regain their abilities and feel comfortable in a new world rather than powerless. Our hope is that 500 bones strikes a balance between an achievement and allowing players to have fun with what they expect from their character’s canon.

It can be assumed that powers from canon are not as powerful as they were from home (this will be handled on a case-by-case basis for every character who chooses the full power regain). For someone like a wizard, though, keep in mind that since magic in Caldera works on a different system, it may be difficult to learn the same spells that exist in canon as the information they would need to study may not inherently exist (it’s not like we are going to police it, but it should be a consideration. Go wild. Make your own spells if you’d like.)

[veritygyr]

Would species-based abilities like seeing in the dark or being naturally resistant to fire damage be considered "powers" that would be lost upon arrival?

[calderamods]

Traits like darkvision would not be considered powers, as we work under the assumption that their eyes are simply different than, say, a human's and the trait offers minute advantages. Fire and other elemental resistances would need to be obtained via rewards because they are significantly more advantageous.

[naturesgifts]

With power regains, how does it work for characters that would naturally have the abilities of the faction with a full power regain.

Example: this guy here, Mr Archdruid. With a Full Power Regain, he'd have access to animal shape shifting of both land and flying varieties (500+ bones), plant growth magic (100 bones if dryad), major healing, etc...

It seems like a steal to pay just the 500 bones for a full power regain when sum total at bare minimum in peace meal purchases, it could be upwards of 1000.

Or would that be something where nerfs would be in place so it's more fair to those that don't have a smorgasbord of Nature's Bounty to choose from.

[calderamods]

We do not want to make it difficult for characters to obtain their canon abilities, so a full power regain would allow the use of all abilities had in canon.

However, faction based abilities essentially work on a different powerset than canon abilities. They are significantly more powerful and it is recommended they are obtained either instead of or on top of canon abilities.

Say Halsin taps into his natural magic to wildshape into a bear. In Caldera, his bear form would have the same amount of hitpoints it normally would and would pull him out of his bear form upon hitting 0 (narratively. We're not policing this) and would not last as long as it usually would passively.

If he transformed into a bear using his dryad based transformation ability, he would not be able to be knocked free of his form unless he specifically wished it, and could theoretically remain a bear for the rest of his time in Caldera. The Dryad version is essentially a buffed version of existing canon abilities, as canon ones have certain restrictions.

Canon abilities similar to faction ones can sometimes be weaker than their faction counterparts, and in some cases may not work correctly at all. We will address these in reward unlocks and take suggestions for how players think abilities can be nerfed to be fair for everyone. It will mostly need to be handled on a case-by-case basis, especially for characters like Halsin who are extremely powerful in their canons.

Tldr; they're 500 bones for a full regain of all abilities. Faction abilities are superior and similar canon abilities will be nerfed accordingly.

[verbrannt]

Hello!

1. Are characters able to share / gift bones to other characters?

2. How thorough does a quest thread need to be to obtain rewards? i.e. where quests that say 5 bones / item, max 30, do we need to thread out picking up 6 individual items / slaying 6 beasts in order to qualify?

3. Will there be other ways for characters to obtain bones than quests in the future? Asking mostly because for some magic users, they're not particularly helpful for doing anything that could be dangerous (i.e. higher level quests) without their magic/abilities, which could mean that it would potentially take a long time to gain their powers back. Of course I understand that quests are meant to be done cooperatively, but it seems like it might be a heavier lift for some than others.

[calderamods]

Great question! Yes, but there are some restrictions.

Rather than sharing bones, players would need to purchase a reward for another character. So you could purchase a full canon power regain for someone else, but not gift them the 500 bones directly. You cannot purchase faction-specific rewards for someone else--only canon powers and general rewards.

We will allow pooling of bones for things like housing upgrades and business licenses (once they are added to the reward list).

EDIT TO ADD
2. It's up to you to determine what you feel like doing for a quest thread. We aren't going to police threads to make sure every little bit is threaded out, but think about what your character could accomplish. At the end of the day if you want to always max your rewards, go for it.

3. Maybe! We are definitely watching balancing and the intent is that lower star level quests can be completed without powers. Regaining everything is supposed to be an achievement, so it's expected to take a bit of time before anyone can do some of the larger quests together.

[lightundying]

Hello! Two quick questions. Well, one quick question and one moderate question.

How many bones would (non-magical) weapons cost? Say, a fancy ass halberd.

And would magically-inflicted curses stop progressing or else fade upon arrival?

[calderamods]

Hi! Thanks to your question, we have added redeemable weapons and items to the rewards page!

His fancy ass halberd would be 100 Bones!

◾ NON-MAGICAL ITEM OR WEAPON: A single weapon (swords, knives, bows, staffs, etc. Guns can be requested and will not have ammo readily available.) Or item (jewelry, trinkets, armor, etc.) with no magical properties.

As for curses, they would stop progressing upon arrival in Caldera. You can... earn them back... if you want(?) with a small power regain.

[cattosock]

on the tdm it mentions that the gemstones when placed on the body will change accordingly. are we allowed to make up what kind of jewelry it can be? like an earring, a necklace, a ring etc?? if it's something that is meant to be small (like an earring or ring) will it become smaller to fit the theme?

[calderamods]

Yes, it can be any type of jewelry you like so long as it's visible. The gemstone will change size accordingly.

[child_of_bhaal]

Hello! I have a question about fandom and caps. How broadly does the term fandom cover?

Example: Does D&D cover as blanket fandom for Baldur's Gate and Critical Role characters? Or would those fall under their own fandoms, as they are not exactly the same as D&D? (Baldur's Gate series being non-canon to the lore of D&D ttrpg Faerun, and running some mechanics differently. Exandria/CritRole being on a different plane of existence entirely, though running on the play system of D&D, etc)

Thanks so much in advance!

[calderamods]

Hello! D&D is not a catch-all fandom, so series like Critical Role and Baldur's Gate along with any other series that uses the D&D system would be their own fandoms with a cap.

Series with multiple iterations (ie: Dragon Age, Critical Role, Baldur's Gate, etc) would encompass the series as a whole towards the cap, not individual games or campaigns.

[roblet]

quick applications question i didn't see anywhere when i checked: it says players can play four characters, but how many can be apped at once? i have two characters i'd like to app, would i have to do one per app cycle?

[calderamods]

As of right now we are keeping apps open, so you are more than welcome to app up to four characters during that time. Depending on how things progress, this might change.

[moonwitchery]

wrt BG3 and malleable protagonists, will Tav and Durge be considered separate slots or will it be one singular whoever gets there first situation?

[calderamods]

Tav and Durge will be separate slots so there may be one each in the cast.

[megatheorem]

Hello! Apologies if I just didn't see this anywhere, but for characters who are dead in canon, what is your preference for their canon points etc?

Specifically, Palamedes here is without a body, but still exists in the canonical soul river, so he isn't totally dead. Would he be able to get a restored body on arrival as if through the regular death mechanic? Or would it be easier to take him from a point before he lost the body?

There's also the third, even later canon point option where he's the ride-along passenger in someone else's body. If I wanted to go that route, same Q: would he get his own body resurrected...?

[calderamods]

Great question, actually!

It would be up to you where exactly he comes from. You can assume upon arrival he was given a body to use, but if you would rather have him work toward a physical body he can arrive as a soul and get his body restored later. The canon point itself is totally up to you; if you would also rather have the ride along point, let us know and we can try to discuss details to make sure we understand all that may entail.

[dollshaped]

Hello! I have a question I'd like to ask for everyone's comfort more than anything.

Robert, here, is a fictional version of Robert the doll, and I am not sure he'd actually be appable. I wanted to make sure before even trying to, and I'd totally accept if it's a no!

Primarily, I'm not sure if he'd run afoul of your Characters who are child-coded (like a 500 year old dragon in a child's body) are not allowed rule. I personally don't feel that he's child-coded; he's definitely child-sized, but the actual human child MC thinks that he's wearing a mask, so I think he's definitely meant to look like a living doll. He's definitely around 120 years old and never acts like a kid, but since the apocalypse happens on Halloween adults they run into just tend to dismiss him as part of a group of kids because... small and "in a costume." So I'm not 100% sure which side of the line he's on, and I wouldn't want to make anyone uncomfortable.

...As a secondary concern his backstory involves the real life Robert Eugene Otto, so I'm not sure if that'd be a problem when it comes to your no RPF rule. It's definitely a fictionalized version and he only shows up on one page, and Robert himself obviously isn't a "real person," but I can understand it feeling a bit odd?

So basically, if either of those things is a dealbreaker, I'd happily play a different character and leave Robert on the shelf (heh). I just thought it might be worth asking since he feels like a somewhat different case from characters like Claudia from Interview With the Vampire, Enma Ai from Hell Girl, or Honey from Ouran.

[calderamods]

Hi! Thanks for the question.

After some discussion, we have decided that Robert is a little too child-coded for the game and we do not think he would be a good fit for the setting.

[dangerhands]

I might have missed where this info was so.

I can't find anything related to housing outside upgrades to the starter home, yet there's no mention that I can find of what a starter home entails.

Are they 1 person houses, bed--sit/studio flats, or will it be assigned share houses? (and if it's assigned, is it possible to request specific assignments?

[calderamods]

Hi! It's actually in the TDM:

Visitors in all starter cities are offered a standard home with basic necessities provided (your choice in design, etc.) that can house 1-4 people if they so choose. Home upgrades can be purchased via rewards.

We left it relatively vague so they could be customized to the character's liking. They are not assigned and characters can bunk up (or not) however they wish. Homes be any size, and they can be houses, apartments, a shack, etc.

[shieldofhope]

Are the faction leaders romanceable? :)

[calderamods]

Unfortunately (for you), no. Sorry!

[doitforboo]

Hello mods! I have a question that is very specific to this idiot and I don't think I saw the answer anywhere but I might also be an idiot.

I know everyone arrives with just the clothes on their back but what is the policy on companion animals that are not appable? He keeps a hamster in his pants, so I'm assuming that Boo would have to be a regain?

Thank you in advance!

[calderamods]

Alas, Minsc. Your dear miniature giant space hamster must be away from you for now.

(Boo can be regained as a familiar, yes).

[beigeacademia]

Hello mods! A bunch of questions:

1) Is there an overarching plot to the game that would be strongly emphasized (e.g. events have a lot to do with trying to save the Caldera universe and characters can tangibly contribute to moving that plot along), or is the game expected to take a more chill slice-of-life pace where the focus is living life in the faction cities and doing quests?

2) Sorta related to the above, but what sort of events can players expect?

3) Can players travel between factions (eg. they want to visit CR living in another faction), and if so what are the transport options like? Sorry if this was mentioned in the TDM or elsewhere, I couldn't find the info.

4) Will there be any interfactional conflict? Are the different factions on good terms? Assuming they are, is there any significance in chosing a certain faction or is it purely a choice of aesthetics: e.g. "I want a healing/lightbending/earthbending powerset" or "my character wants to live in a seaside/forest/sky environment"?

[calderamods]

Hello! Thank you for the questions.

Caldera will have an overarching plot centered around saving the world from destruction caused by, as far as Visitors know now, unknown reasons. Events will center primarily around this plot, offering characters glimpses into how terrible the situation is and offering them plenty of options to assist - or not. There will also be slice of life events sprinkled in for those inclined towards such things, but this is essentially an action adventure game at its core.

Traveling between faction cities is easily done through various means. Airships transport Visitors to the sky, large airtight bubbles bring Visitors to docks on the surface (where they will then need to board an airship to venture to the sky, as there is no direct route from sea to sky currently). Remember: out of faction quests offer bonuses for the other two factions, so traveling is a must.

As of this time the factions are all on good terms. But the leaders are mysterious and often working behind the scenes, so who knows what might happen in the future.

Factions are chosen based on which resonates with the characters soul and this can be played however you wish. Perhaps they are adventurous and risk taking, so they are inclined toward Sylph. Or maybe they're already a healer and wish to continue down that path so they choose Undine. This is very flexible.

[megatheorem]

it's me again with another question about dead characters. i'm sorry.

This Time It's An OC, specifically an OC who is a ghost - is being apped as a ghost viable? His default state is a spectral, semi-tangible form that floats a little, while he can use powers to magic himself totally invisible/intangible or alchemize up a temporary golem body to possess. These ones would be regains obviously, so I am wondering if the ghostly form would be viable in play...

[calderamods]

Hello! If you’d like to app him as a ghost, your assumptions about his regains would be correct. However, something to keep in mind is that there are haunted areas in Caldera. The locals would not take kindly to a ghost for quite some time and it would take him quite a bit of work to earn their trust—if he could at all.

Another option would be to give him a fully tangible human form and the ghostly form as a regain that he can use and leave his body behind to use his normal powers. It can be handwaved that the leaders are giving him a body to fit in better, if you’d like. Just make sure to mention this in your app if it’s the route you choose to go.

[invigorates]

Hi mods! If characters earned Bones from quests and haven't officially turned them in, could they use the Bones earned narratively and just not turn said quest in? If that makes sense.

Example: Lioriley has 30 bones from a quest she hasn't turned in or counted for rewards. Could she narratively use those Bones to pay for space in a tavern for a meeting or whatever else she wanted, and just not claim the quest rewards or does stuff like that count on a different, assumed system? Thank you!!

[calderamods]

Hello! We would like characters to be able to use Bones earned from Quests and the like primarily for rewards. Any narrative purchases (renting a room at a tavern, buying mundane items like clothing, etc.) can be handwaved so long as they're not extravagant!

[inherlight]

Hey mods! Late to the party. Just stumbled upon an ad for this game. But I have a question in regards to OCs who are from TTRPG. More specifically Dungeons and Dragons and this one here. Yes, I am using BG3 for her icons and I do use this account as a 'Tav', however she can act independently from the BG3 canon. She has a full original background within the Forgotten Realms campaign setting with her own motivations and story. So my question is, would it be okay to play her as a DnD OC? Since that's what she really is.

[calderamods]

Hello! Never too late!

DND OCs are allowed to be apped without issue, just state her canon as "Dungeons & Dragons" on your app. Alternatively, if you do wish to play her as a Tav, we currently do not have one and that would not be an issue either. Hope this helps!

[dontneedahero]

Hello Mods!

Also late! I do have something follow up questions regarding TTRPG D&D OCs. Specifically, are Homebrew classes allowed when it comes to those characters if they're not OP/Broken ones? Would those count as third party products if they're purchased from affiliated WotC websites?

[calderamods]

Hello! We would still consider these characters DnD OCs if that is the general setting they are from.