Opening Speech + Simterra Wiki

[GS_Margie]

I'd suggest sending the scripts and order of the videos BEFORE the shooting. It will be easier for us to make suggestions or additions before the video is already shot. We'll still check with other staff, but it sounds like you thought of this well before we did!

*Note to everyone else: This does not leave you off the hook for video scripts. Roland has--HAD--done a good job of providing script speech that could be used.
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I write for the same reason I breathe - because if I didn't, I would die.

[Roland the Savior]

*phase in, phase in, phase in*

DISLAIMER: PLEASE CORRECT ANYTHING I AM WRONG ABOUT. I'M NOT 100% ON SOME OF THE NUANCES OF THESE.

Yellow light/Red light

Yellow Light: If people around you are having a conversation that makes you uncomfortable out of character (OOC) and you wish to let them know, hold your hand up (with your index and middle fingers crossed to denote out of character conversation) and say, "Yellow light." At this point, the other characters having this conversation can change topic, move to another location, or you can move yourself to another location.
If you are the person who is discussing something that makes another person uncomfortable and they raise their hand and say, "Yellow light," you may change the topic of conversation, move to another location or the person who is uncomfortable my move to another location.

Red Light: If someone around you is discussing that offends you OOC and you wish them to cease speaking about it immediately, raise your hand (with your index and middle fingers crossed) and say, "Red light." At this point, the person speaking about the offensive subject matter is to stop what they are talking about. If someone calls a Red Light on something you are talking about, stop talking about it or move the conversation to a location away from those you have offended.


Schenkleburg (God I hope I spelled that right) Call
If somone is injured or in duress out of character (OOC) and is in need of immediate first aid/medical attention, call, "SCHENKLEBURG," as loud as possible. At hearing this call, gameplay stops until a first aid/emergency medical provider arrives and asses the situation. Do not move the injured party (unless their person is immediate danger of falling from something/being crushed by something/being eaten by something), do not touch the injured party (unless you're trained and certified to do so by law and staff), keep other people away from the injured party until help arrives.
THIS IS NOT A CALL TO BE PLAYED AROUND WITH. NOBODY WANTS TO HEAR THIS CALL, EVER. IF YOU MAKE THIS CALL AND IT IS NOT NECESSARY THAT YOU DO SO, STAFF WILL TAKE APPROPRIATE DISIPLINARY ACTION.

OOC disputes about game
During gameplay, if you witness a player not acting appropriately (not taking damage, metagaming, etc.), do not confront the player about their conduct, notify gamestaff. If you have an out of character (OOC) dispute with a player based on personal conduct (offensive behavior, general dislike, etc.) see the Yellow Light/Red Light rules or remove yourself from their presence.

Effects:SimTerra has an abundance of effects, both magical and mundane and each has a discriptor of the effect, a system effect and a role playing effect. Each effect lasts for 30 seconds.

Pain: Your character's body is wracked with pain for the duration of this effect.
System Effect: The pain is so great that you are no longer able to fight, take defensive action, talk or cast spells.
Role Playing Effect: You are in pain, helpless as your body's pain receptors fire off constantly. Screaming is appropriate, as is rolling around as if trying to put out imaginary flames. Grunting, panting, kneeling or distraught facial feature are also acceptable.

Paralyze: Your muscles refuse to respond for the duration of this effect. Your limbs freeze, your bones lock or your brain just stops sending the proper motor signals. You may talk freely but you may not move the affected limb(s) for the duration of this ability. This may affect single or multiple limbs depending on effect call, i.e. "Paralyze Leg."
System Effect: Affected limb(s) is unable to be used for the duration of the effect.
Role Playing Effect: Affected limb(s) hang uselessy or lock up as stiff as boards. If legs are paralyzed, you may stand in place or fall to the ground. If arms are paralyzed, you may hold them to your sides or in an approximate position to how they were when you were paralyzed.

Knockout: You are knocked unconscious by a tremendous force. No damage is taken, but your body crumples to floor until you wake up.
System Effect: You are helpless to defend yourself as you have been knocked unconscious. You take no damage from this ability, though may be damaged normally by other effects while unconscious.
Role Playing Effect: You fall to the ground. You are unconscious until the effect is over. You cannot hear, see or otherwise process what is happening around or to you until you regain consciousness.

Repel: You have taken a blow that hits with such force as to knock you away from it's source.
System Effect: You are forcibly knocked away from the source of this effect, you take no direct damage from this ability.
Role Playing Effect: You must turn from the source of the effect and run away from it to a distance of approximately 20 feet. Once the distance has been travelled, you may return to the source.

Poison: Your body is poisoned. It will not affect you immediately, but over time, the poison will take its toll.
System Effect: When hit with poison damage (i.e. "Poison 2"), you take no direct damage (unless called otherwise, i.e. "2-Poison-2"). After 30 seconds, you take the poison damage called (for "Poison 2" you would take 2 damage after 30 seconds).
Role Playing Effect: Roleplay damage normally, even if no damage was called before "Poison" call. After 30 seconds, roleplay additional damage as the poison reaches your vital organs and you take damage.

*I can do more of these if staff would like me to. I've got nothing to do at work, really. You know, besides trying to look like I still give a crap.
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[Roland the Savior]

DAMAGE
Damage is calculated by a numeric effect called before an opponent's weapon is swung at you. A number called while swinging a weapon denotes the amount of damage the weapon swing will cause if it comes into contact with your person (i.e. someone calling, "Two (2)" will do 2 points of damage to you if the weapon connects). If no number is called before a swing, it is assumed that the attack is rated at one (1) damage, meaning that if you are hit, you will subtract one (1) damage from your total hit points. Should you block a weapon swing, the opponent does damage to your weapon instead of you.

Damage is locational. If you are hit in the arm, you lose the use of that arm and it considered a disabled limb. The same applies for legs. If you are hit in the chest, you are considered to be bleeding out. If you are hit in a disabled limb, you are considered to be bleeding out.

Armor, or more hit points will allow you be damaged in these areas more often before losing the use of these limbs or bleeding out.

HIT/HEALTH POINTS (HP)
Hit/Health points (referred to as HP) represent how tough your character is. HP is depleted through damaging weapon attacks as well as various direct damage spells. You may purchase as much HP as you wish provided you have the appropriate amount of experients points or you may have your HP temporarily increased via magical means.

DEATH AND DYING
Once your HP total reaches zero (0), you begin a five (5) second bleed out count where your character has been mortally wounded and is near death. If not healed of your wounds within those five (5) seconds, you will enter a 30 second phase out count where your character's very being is fading from the material world. If left unattended, your character's body will fade into the ethereal plane and you will have to see staff to make sure your character can be ressurected (which is very possible).

Upon "phasing out," your character is considered to have died and if ressurected, may have certain penalties or role playing requirements assigned to you by staff.

ARMOR
Armor is material purchased or granted magically for the express purpose of preventing damage to your character's HP. Material armor comes in varying degrees of protection which grants you a number of armor "points" which are drained before your HP (i.e. If you had purchased armor worth 3 points and you had 2 HP, you have a total of 5 points to be drained by damaging attacks before you entered your bleed out count) and must be purchased by location on your body (forearm bracers would not protect you if were to be hit in the chest, for example).

If your armor is hit by a damage call, you would roleplay damage normally, but you would call, "Armor," and lose an armor point based on how much damage you received. Once your armor reaches zero (0), your HP total will be reduced by damage. Material armor may be repaired via magical means or by paying a skilled smith.

Magical armor is granted to you by a character with the appropriate skill and will be drained upon use (i.e. If you are hit with a basic swing, you would roleplay damage normally and call, "Armor." After this, you would have no access to the magical armor until you were granted it again by a character with the appropriate skill).

Armor, however, may be bypassed by certain damaging calls such as "Sneak" or "Body" which directly damage your HP.

HEALING
Healing can either be performed magically or by items purchased from a merchant. Either method restores your HP by one (1) per application of the ability or item. You cannot be healed to more than your maximum amount of HP.

If you have been mortally wounded and are bleeding out, a spell or item that has the effect, "Sustain Life" is required to keep you from bleeding out completely and a "Heal 1" is required to stop you from bleeding out.

If you are phasing out after your bleed out count has finished, "Sustain Soul" is required to keep you from phasing out and a "Restore Life" is required to bring you back to your bleed out count in order for "Heal 1" to have any effect on your HP total.


RPD
Role-Playing Damage (RPD) is a term used when you are damaged in combat. To properly roleplay damage, you must either take a step backwards when hit or have a part of your body other than your feet touch the ground before regaining your footing. Grunting, growling, howling, etc. are also highly encouraged.

OOC / IC / METAGAMING*Someone please make these not suck as much I have made them suck.*
Out-of-Character (OOC): "Out-of-character" is a term used to describe conversations or actions performed by you, the player while not participating in gameplay. These OOC actions or conversations are tolerated only in OOC zones, during breaks or before and after an event;
if you have your hand raised above your head with your index and middle fingers crossed to ask a question pertaining to rules or a quick and quiet question to another player that does not concern the game world.

In Character (IC): "In character" is a term used to describe the conversations or actions performed by the character that you, the player are portraying. Being in character consists of roleplaying your character to the best of your abilities, speaking of game world relevent topics as if you are not playing a game, speaking with an accent (if you have chosen that your character do so), being in costume (whatever clothing you have chosen for your character), and behaving as your character would behave.

METAGAMING: "Metagaming" is a term used to describe taking OOC knowledge and using it IC. For example, you (the player) overhear gamestaff talking in an OOC zone about a suprise mission. You then relay that information that your character could not have heard IC to other characters to prepare for this mission. Metagaming is not tolerated and should be avoided to the best of your ability.

STARTING INFO
Depending on starting race, additional stats may be added or existing stats may be changed, but basic characters being play with 1 Hit Point (HP), 4 Willpower points (WP), 4 buff slots and may swing any weapon for one (1) damage.

Hit Points and Damage: Each character begins with a base Hit Point(HP) pool of one (1) HP. If hit by a weapon strike of one (1) on any limb, that limb is lost (unless the character is wearing armor, has a magical effect active, etc.). If the character is hit in the torso, then the character must begin their bleed out count. Extra HP may be purchased with Skill Points starting at three (3) skill points and increasing in cost for each additional hit point (first HP increase costs 3 skill points, the second increase costs 5 skill points, etc.).
In addition to each character starting with one (1) HP, each character (regardless of race or gender) may pick up any weapon and cause one (1) damage per swing to their opponents. This one (1) damage is the standard base damage for all characters and unless a number or effect is called before the swing, each hit is considered to cause one (1) damage upon striking its target.

Skill Points: Skill points are a representation of your character's growing prowess with physical and/or magical skills. Each event, you will earn experience which represent your character advancing his or her knowledge of combat and magic. At certain amounts of experience points, you will gain a number of skill points to spend on physical attributes, skills or magic. Once you have enough skill points, you may then spend them on the skill of your choice, provided you have met the prerequisites for the ability.

Willpower Points: A starting character begins play with 4 willpower points. Willpower is used to activate certain "Willpower Abilities" that may be purchased with skill points. Each Willpower Ability costs 2 skill points but each ability costs a different amount of willpower to activate (see specific Willpower Ability for willpower cost). Willpower may also be used for certain roleplaying actions as allowed by staff on a case-by-case basis. Willpower is regained by having fifteen (15) minutes of rest, usually in between missions or during downtime.

Buff Slots: Each character, regardless of race has four "Buff Slots" which can be used to store beneficial magical spells to be used at a later time. Should you be granted a "buff," it will take two slots (for a total of two stored spells) unless the character granting you the spell has the Compact meta-magic ability (they will tell you if it is compacted or not). A compacted spell occupies only one buff slot (giving you a total of four compacted spells).

Delivery Modifiers:

Sneak: Sneak damage is delivered from behind the intended target with a weapon that is 2 feet long or shorter. Sneak damage ignores material and magical armor and delivers damage straight to the hit point (HP) total of the target. Sneak damage cannot be dodged, blocked or parried.

Body: Body damage can be delivered via physical abilities or magic and bypasses magical and material armor, dealing damage straight to the hit point (HP) total of the target. Weapon delivered body damage can be dodged, parried or blocked. Magical body damage may be dodged, but if parried or blocked, the damage travels through the object used to block the attack and deals damage to the HP total of the target.

Flame: Flame damage represents a fire attack being launched against a target. Flame damage can either be magically delivered via packet or by weapon, but is most always magical in origin. Fire damage, like other elemental damage, may be absorbed through material and magical armor, dodged, parried and blocked by shields and weapons or negated through certain protetive spells.

Ice: Ice damage represents an attack of freezing cold being launched against a target. Ice damage can either be magically delivered via packet or by weapon attacks but is most always magical in origin. Ice damage, like other elemental damage, may be absorbed through material and magical armor, dodged, parried and blocked by shields and weapons or negated through certain protective spells.

Shock: Shock damage represents an attack of lighting or electricity being launched against a target. Shock damage can either be magically delivered via packet or by weapon attacks but is most always magical in origin. Shock damage, like other elemental damage, may be absorbed through material and magical armor, dodged, parried and blocked by shields and weapons or negated through certain protective spells.

Deform: Deform represents an attack, both physical or magical, that can damage or even destroy equipment. This attack damages only armor, weapons or other equipment based on the number called after the word, "deform," has been said (i.e. a Deform3 will cause 3 points of damage to the piece of equipment it hits). Deform can be dodged, but if it is parried or blocked by a weapon or shield or contacts armor, that equipment is still damaged and must be repaired.

Spell: Spell is a term used to categorize all of the abilities that use cyrstals, incants and gestures to generate an effect. Spells generally cannot be blocked or parried by weapons or armor (the effect travels through the equipment used to block them, with the exception of elemental damage). Spells have a wide arrange of effects from direct elemental damage to healing to controlling your enemy's emotional state. While versitile, spells are only good as long as you are in possession of enough "spell crystals" (packets of birdseed and cloth, OOC), you are able to recite the requisite number of incants and perform the requisite gestures to launch your spell. Spells also benefit from a wide array of meta-magic abilites than can be purchased with skill points to increase the potency and/or utility of your spells at the increase of incants and gestures per casting.

Status effects

Snare: Snare represents vines, gravity, or another binding effect constricting the effective limbs into uselessness.
System Effect: Once hit by this ability, the affected limbs (legs, arms, or all) are pulled towards each other and are unusable for the duration of this effect.
Roleplaying Effect: If your legs are snared, they are drawn together, possibly causing you to fall, but certainly causing you to stop moving. If your arms are snared, you are almost incapable of fighting back.

Dominate: Your mind is not your own as the caster of this spell forcibly takes control of you for the duration of this spell.
System Effect: You do whatever simple, 8 words or less (please correct if this is wrong), instruction the caster gives you for the duration of this ability.
Roleplaying Effect: You do whatever simple instruction the caster gives you. After the spell has worn off, you return to your previous state with all memories of what you did while dominated intact.

Pacify: You feel no urge to inflict harm on others for the duration of this spell, but you may still defend yourself from harm.
System Effect: For the duration of this ability, you may take no offensive action against anyone/thing. You may not use abilities if they are offensive in nature (damage effects/spells), but you may use defensive abilities (resists, dodges, healing, etc.)
Roleplaying Effect: You may not swing your weapon with the intention of hurting another creature. In combat, you may attempt to run away from the conflict to find a safe place or you may stay in one place, only moving your weapons to defend yourself. The roleplaying aspect is yours to choose based on your character's personality, but even if you are blood-thirsty seial killer, you may not cause harm to another as long as this ability is active.


Taking Effects: From time to time, you may hear one of these three calls in response to being hit with an ability. This is to limit confusion as to what is happening when an enemy is being pelted with spells or being beaten to a pulp and the player of the creature wishes to voice what is happening to the creature.

Taken: The effect is taken normally, for the entire duration of the ability or for the full damage of the ability.

Resist: The effect is resisted completely. No effect happens other than the attack bounces harmlessly off the monster's thick, scaly hide (regardless of thickness or scaliness of the hide [that's right, I made a joke only me and Yumi will get.] or regardless if the creature is a monster or a person).

[i}Partial[/i]: The effect is only partially taken. This may include reduced damage, reduced duration, or complete negation of the effect with the monster only being knocked back a few feet or tripped momentarily while it recovers from the ability.


Modifiers: While all abilities with a timed duration last for 30 seconds, certain abilities allow the user to prolong the duration of the effects, while some cause the duration to be cut in half.

Extended: The duration of an extended effect is increased from 30 seconds to 1 minute. (I have a stupid feeling that this wrong and that it's 5 minute instead, but I'm putting 1 down because it's the last thing I remember. Correct me if I'm wrong at all on this.)

No Modifier: The duration of the ability is 30 seconds. No more, no less. This is the base duration of all timed abilities.

Minor: The duration has been cut in half from 30 seconds to 15 seconds.


The Ethereal:

What is, "The Ethereal?"
The Ethereal is the title given to the land of ghosts and spirits. It is where souls go to when they die and are waiting/hoping to be brought back to life. It's a strange and dangerous land that few dare to stay on for long, for to die there is to give any chance of healing and risk a higher chance of never coming back.

What is, "Phasing in?"
"Phasing in," is the term used to announce that a being from The Ethereal is entering the material plane again. While phasing in, the person will announce, "Phase in, phase in, phase in." After the third time they say, "Phase in," they are completely on the material plane and be interacted with normally. Between the first, "Phase in," and third, they are considered to still be on The Ethereal and may not be interacted with as if they were on the material plane.

What is, "Phasing out?"
"Phasing out," is the term used to announce that a being from the material plane is entering The Ethereal. While phasing out, the person will announce, "Phase out, phase out, phase out." After the the third time they say, "Phase out," they are on The Etheral and may only be interacted with accordingly. Between the first, "Phase out," and third, they are considered to still be on the material plane and may be interacted with normally.

How can you tell someone is phased out?
Someone who is phased out will be wearing a blue headband that is readily noticable to everyone out of character. This is done to distinguish them from people who are not on The Ethereal in terms of who can see them and who can interact with them.

What are the rules on The Ethereal Plane?
While on The Ethereal Plane, you may not talk as you have no earthly body to expell air to carry the sound. You can move through living things, causing a chill to any part of them you pass through. You may not move through solid objects such as doors or walls, but you may pass through smaller objects such as silverware or pillows. (Again, I'm not 100% on this, please correct if I'm wrong here)

How can things on the material plane effect those on the ethereal plane?
Things on the material plane generally cannot effect those on The Ethereal. Only certain spells allow a person on the material to interact with those on The Ethereal Plane and the only school those spells exsist in is called, "The Ethereal School." Unless an ability called, "Phase Sight," has been granted to you and is active, you may not "see" (in character you may not see them. Out of character, pretend your hardest that they are not there) the person on The Ethereal. If you have not been granted the ability called, "Phase Strike," you may not harm a person that is on The Ethereal as your weapon simply passes through the air, leaving the being on The Ethereal unharmed.

"basic" attacks and stacking effects. [physical tree's don't stack, but wp and buffs do]

Physical Delivery of Abilities

Magical Delivery of Abilities

Earning/Spending Experience Points

Incants and Gestures
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[Charis]

I think the damage section is a little difficult to read. I myself had to read it twice through in some places, and I'm familiar with the system.

DAMAGE
Damage is calculated by a numeric effect called before an opponent's weapon is swung at you. A number called while swinging a weapon denotes the amount of damage the weapon swing will cause if it comes into contact with your person (i.e. someone calling, "Two (2)" will do 2 points of damage to you if the weapon connects). If no number is called before a swing, it is assumed that the attack is rated at one (1) damage, meaning that if you are hit, you will subtract one (1) damage from your total hit points. Should you block a weapon swing, the opponent does damage to your weapon instead of you.

I think the first sentence still needs to be simplified, but the information reads better this way.

Also, You should defintely mention in the Hit Points section that each player starts with only one HP. This is something very important for new players to understand, I think.

Should the information about what to do when your HP hits zero go under Hit Points, or RPD, do you think?

[Roland the Savior]

Yeah, I'm not really planning these out ahead of time, so please, feel free to comment/correct/ridicule anything I write here.

I've changed the first sentence under damage as per your recommendation, because you're right, it does read better.

I actually made a DEATH AND DYING section for when HP reaches zero because I realized that it is a seperate beast than just a base HP description. I had also planned on including starting HP in the "Starting Info" section and change the order around a little bit later and see if it flows better.
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[Charis]

I approve of the new Death and Dying section. The changes overall flow better.

If you do mention 1 hitpoint in the "starting info" section, and it goes before the "Damage section" it might be wise to mention that "A single swing will bring most characters to zero" or something of the like. I know it seems redundant, but wording it like this rather than just explaining the numbers makes a difference, I think.

Good work, and keep 'em comming!

[Roland the Savior]

Damage has been changed to reflect that I remembered about losing limbs. The rest I will start on again tomorrow because I'm about to get off of work and start drinking.

If I don't get to these tomorrow, the reason is now known.
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[Roland the Savior]

Yaaaaay...It's almost done.
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[TerraSunflowerEyes]

Schenkelberg ^^....
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"I am the Beauty of the Green Earth and the White Moon Among the Stars."

[GS_Margie]

If you don't mind, could you send the "scripts" to me via email so I can review them before you start shooting?

We've discussed the matter and decided that any and all player-created videos are eligible for canonization -- subject to accuracy, creativity, and quality.

Sending the "scripts" first might help so you wouldn't have to re-shoot the video.



Edit: Helps if I attach the email address. BTW, not worried about spam.
margie.writer@gmail.com
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I write for the same reason I breathe - because if I didn't, I would die.

[Raccoon]

Apologies for the holdup- both classes and the blizzard have impeded my plans for scripting and shooting, and I still have only outlines for videos. I'll get on that first chance I get.
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"Dreams are real as long as they last. Can we say more of life?" -Havelock Ellis

[GS_Margie]

Can I get an update on this? I know that there were people who had started something of their own and I'd just like to get an update on what's going on.

Mostly because if players decide not to, I'll probably have to do it.
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I write for the same reason I breathe - because if I didn't, I would die.

[Roland the Savior]

I completely forgot about this.
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[GS_Margie]

I'm not allowed to forget.
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I write for the same reason I breathe - because if I didn't, I would die.

[GM_Drew]

Otherwise I'll be mean and make her do new player training for eternity as punishment.