calderamods (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
calderamods) wrote2024-03-28 08:21 pm
calderamods) wrote2024-03-28 08:21 pm
Entry tags:
FAQ
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
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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!
no subject
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.
no subject
◾ 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).
no subject