Criteria for Sims Wishing to Join the Fellowship
RP Limits
Establishment of a Games Mistress (Game Leader)
Transference of Literary Characters from Another Outside RP
Inactivity of RPers in the Fellowship RP ("Use It or Lose It" Rule)
Use of Independent Arbitrators
Regarding Ownership of RP Notecards Submitted for Posting
Regarding RPers, Judgments and Disciplinary Actions
Adding RP Characters to the RP
Assignment of RP Characters
Additional Documents
CRITERIA FOR SIMS WISHING TO JOIN THE FELLOWSHIP-- effective 11/23/09
- Must be medieval/fantasy based sims, pre-industrial in nature, compatible with Tolkien's world.
- Must have a history and setting to their realm, and a direction for their role play that is or can be made compatible to ours.
- Must use Spellfire meters for intersim combat. Local protocols apply for local 4th and local sim rp. For 4th Age RP combat, 4th Age ROE must be used.
- Must adhere to the 4th Age rp limits for all 4th Age. The Fellowship reserves the right not to post rp notecards that violate the RP limits.
--All rp notecards MUST be submitted to AelKennyr Rhiano for reviewed. They cannot be posted directly. All cards should have in the title, "Dawn of the 4th Age."
--Once a role play notecard has been submitted to an elder for perusal, it becomes the property of the elder and he may share that notecard at his discretion. It cannot remain solely between the eldar and the role player. Nor can a rper dictate what the editor will or won't do with the rp notecard. Ael reserves the right to edit, withhold, or reject a rp notecard at his discretion and to alert and consult with the Council of Elders should he feel the need.
- For consistency and ease of use, the Fellowship has developed a chat repeater and name tag style that allows Tolkien based rpers to engage in rp with fantasy based rpers, and this titler is provided to all tolkien based rpers
- Does not have to be Tolkien based, but does have to be able to weave their story with ours – being set in the Fourth Age this should be easy enough done from our standpoint.
- Trial period of ‘association’ – as one would with any land one wants to become affiliated with. Generally, within 2-3 months, if the match is beneficial to both the local sim and the fellowship, it will be obvious. The sim should be able to demonstrate the ability to maintain a rp presence in the 4th Age and produce rp on a regular basis, as determined by the nature of the local rp and with the Guidance of the Eldars and other rp leaders.
- Willingness to work WITH the existing members for the shared goal of enhancing and enjoying the role play of our lands.
- Be overall drama free and mature in their approach to the Role Play, but be prepared to have fun as well.
RP LIMITS -- effective 7/27/10
1. Local rp and 4th age may overlap but they are two separate things. But Fellowship rp limits are binding on all 4th age rp only. The Fellowship does not presume to dictate local rp policy.
2. No age play of any sort. However child avs are allowed in the 4th Age rp.
3. No rape scenes of any sort. No violent consensual sexual encounters.
4. No collaring, or slave capture rp of any sort.
5. No Bloodlines or rp of a similar nature.
6. Scenes of a graphically violent or sexual nature, impregnation, and birth should not be submitted for group sharing, but, rather, amended to exclude the most graphic elements and contain a simple summary. Such scenes may still be played out by the players individually, however, with limits agreed to beforehand.
ESTABLISHMENT OF A GAMES MISTRESS (GAME LEADER) -- effective 10/04/10
As Games Mistress, Sakura Easterwood will oversee those rpers who wish to acquire special powers or abilities not given to their race or class as part of their natural talents. Rpers will have to make a logical case for the desired abilities/powers and she will weigh the merits of the request and consult with Ael. If allowed, a quest will be made for the rper. How the rper handles the quest will determine if they are granted that spell or abiltiy.
Games Mistress can also serve as an arbitor between rpers who are disputing an event in a rp or she can investigate any questions of godmodding, metagaming or breaking of rp limits. She could even be called upon to record a rp if requested.
She can be called upon to be the eyes, ears and justice of the Elders. Their justice will be determined by protocol preferences and will be a qualified one.
TRANSFERENCE OF LITERARY CHARACTERS FROM ANOTHER OUTSIDE RP -- effective 4/15/11
We will no longer accept a transference of a literary rp character a person has from another rp, even if that rp is not active, into the 4th Age without proof of commitment to the role in the rp from which that character originated. Those who wish to transfer their rp character to the Dawn of the 4th Age rp will be expected to fill out an application COMPLETELY and to address how active they were in priors rps where they had that role.
INACTIVITY OF RPERS IN THE FELLOWSHIP RP (USE IT OR LOSE IT RULE) -- effective 4/15/11
If a rper has not been active in the rp for two-three months and has not given the race leader or sim owner a reason for the absence or even a heads up, then in the case of a literary character, the rper will lose that role. They may re-apply for a nonliterary role but will not be consider for any major role until they demonstrated six months of consistent presence and rp in the 4th Age. It will then be up to the race leader to recommend they be restored to a literary role or denied. During the time they do not have the role, there is NO guarantee that it will be still be available at the end of the six months.
USE OF INDEPENDENT ARBITRATORS-- effective 5/19/11
The use of observers (arbitrators) is the best and most effective way of ensuring that text based rp combat or interaction between enemies or potential enemies would be conducted in a fair manner in accordance to the rp limits of the fellowship. This is applicable only in those situations where the conflict is limited to one-on-one or small skirmishes where the outcome of the interaction or combat has not been predetermined.
Eldars themselves will serve as the arbitrators. If rpers are going to do a text based rp in which the end is not predetermined an arbitrator must be on hand to witness the rp. This will ensure fair play, also will make editng the rp narrative easier and more fluid, and will keep the Elders connected with the ongoing rp and with the rpers themselves. Rpers would need to coordinate such text based interaction or combat rp not only with the other rpers involved but with a Elder BEFOREHAND to act as impartial observer.
In the case of a spontaneous text based interaction bewteen enemies, potential enemies or combat rp, a raw chatlog should be sent as soon as the rp is done to an Eldar for review before editing the rp notecard and sending it to Ael. Any who enter into such a sponatneous interaction without an observer present would do so with the understanding that if the Eldar deems it necessary the scene may have to be redone.
Because conflict between adversaries may erupt during the natural course of the role play, any scenes with enemies or potential enemies involved should be observed. It must be understood that the observer would not be judging quality of the role play but rather, making sure it stays balanced and true to the character's abilities.
REGARDING OWNERSHIP OF RP NOTECARDS SUBMITTED FOR POSTING-- effective 5/22/11
All rp notecards MUST be submitted to AelKennyr Rhiano for reviewed. They cannot be posted directly. All cards should have in the title, "Dawn of the 4th Age."
Once a role play notecard has been submitted to an elder for perusal, it becomes the property of the elder and he may share that notecard at his discretion. It cannot remain solely between the eldar and the role player. Nor can a rper dictate what the editor will or won't do with the rp notecard. Ael reserves the right to edit, withhold, or reject a rp notecard at his discretion and to alert and consult with the Council of Elders should he feel the need.
REGARDING RPERS, JUDGMENTS AND DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS-- effective 5/22/11
Conversations between elders and rpers regarding rules, protocols, story ideas or the rp itself are NOT confidential. If a role player is disciplined by the council they may not discuss the action taken by the council with either the elders or other Fellowship role players once the discipline is in force.
ADDING RP CHARACTERS TO THE RP-- effective 5/22/11
If a role player wishes to add an extra character to the role play who is not currently registered with the Fellowship, the role players MUST inform an Elder of this before submitting the role play notecard. If the Elder approves the additional character, the one wishing to play the additional character MUST submit a role play application BEFORE the role play notecard is submitted to the Elders.
The need for additional rp characters will, of course, come in in the course of a rp storyline. HOWEVER, a rper may not create a rp position solely for the express purpose of it being assigned to a person who has not submitted an application for rp prior to that rp scene's existence.
ASSIGNMENT OF RP CHARACTERS-- effective 5/22/11
Only the role play leaders may assign role play roles. Any newly created rp characters will be considered to be available to any interested parties who currently have an application submitted, and the selection of the individual remains the purview of the respective rp leader and the Council of Elders.
ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS
Code of Arms
Rules of Engagement