Character Protocols
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Permissible Characters
Characters may come from any canon source: TV, movies, radio, comics, anime, literature. They must have a confirmed canon presence - more than a name or a mention; while secondary characters are permissible, there must be enough material to judge the history, personality, and voice on an application. No real persons will be permitted.
Duplicates
Duplicate characters cannot be apped unless they met in canon AND are sufficiently distinct from each other as to constitute an entirely separate character. Ie, Jack O'Neill and mini-Jack O'Neill could both be apped, because they met onscreen and mini-Jack will have a different life and different challenges from Jack. But Smallville Clark Kent and Lois & Clark Clark Kent cannot both be apped, even though they are sufficiently distinct, because they never met in canon. The limit for appable duplicates is two, no matter how many multiples of Superman you have to choose from.
This does not foreclose the possibility of a clone plot, a duplicates plot, a mirror verse plot, or specific plots involving a specific duplicate for a limited period of time.
Villains
Villains are not permitted as PCs. "Reformed" Villains - those using dubious methods, gang lords, run neighborhoods, but NOT killers, those looking to take over the world or all of Gotham - will be permitted.
Examples: the Joker or the Yellow Eyed Demon would not be permissible villains. Poison Ivy or Lindsey McDonald would be.
Powered Characters
Characters retain their abilities. Abilities that are tied to the universes of their origin may be dampened or altered. Magics not arising in the DCU will still work, but will be dampened in power and may be unreliable/backfire.
Character Knowledge
DCU Characters: retain any knowledge they had upon their arrival; other universes that were fictional within the DCU - Jossverse - cease to be fictional after the cataclysm. Your pup may still be a huge Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan, but they won't recognize Buffy standing right in front of them.
All Other Characters: retain any knowledge they had upon their arrival except for the fictional nature of any other universe.
Exceptions: characters who are canonically immune to changes in the timeline or multiverse remain immune (for example: Bart Allen/Impulse; the Doctor)
NPCs
An NPC is a non-player-character. They are:
- mod-controlled or player-controlled by OOC notes when posted for gathering. For example, Teddy Lipton the hot dog vendor in the park and his sister Sarah.
- used by individual players for logs or calls for patrols. For example, a random criminal rapist or Alfred Pennyworth (family NPC, unless apped).
- are not journaled characters with rare exceptions (BatmanPrime and OraclePrime).
- except for personal NPCs (family members), all NPCs are shared resources, final arbitration remains with the mods. Don't kill or remove from play a shared NPC without getting approval from the mods, and announcing the time of the incident to the game. This avoids the need for retconning.
- NPCs designated as mod-controlled require prior approval from the mods to use and the mods will have sole control over their actions.
Mod Socks
YO_BatmanPrime is responsible for patrols, alerts, and citywide resource allocation. Also maintains files on any and all city newcomers who have had contact with Batfamily or related operatives. Batman may be spotted spying on a thread in a tag. If he is, do not interact or notice him. He is information gathering.
YO_OraclePrime is responsible for information distribution, technology, and communications. Also maintains files on any and all persons who use whatever information technology is distributed. Unless you are a computer genius with a reason to be backtracking her hacks, you will never know she was there.
Temp Socks
During proposed plots, otherwise disallowed villains (the Borg Queen!) or real persons (Stacy and Clinton from What Not to Wear!) may be permitted to be socked - sockpuppeted by either a mod or the proposing player. These socks will be temporary in nature and not remain in the game beyond the time of their plot.
PBs
PB means Played By and it's the human model/actor who stands in for a comic book, literature or other character.
- all pups must have a human PB.
- the same PB may not be used twice, except in the event of multiple television or movie pups actually being played by the same PB. In other words, once there is a Callum Keith Rennie in game, you may not use Callum Keith Rennie for a PB for any pup not actually played by Callum Keith Rennie in the canon.
- except in the case of duplicate versions (two Jim Gordons for example), PBs are not clones. Continuing the CKR example, Detective Kowalski merely looks a lot like Leoben. If they stood next to each other, it would be easy to tell them apart. However, if two Leobens were approved, they would be clones.
