Welcome to Aurora Sky! We are a Sword and Sorcery roleplay. Check out the area above this box if you're interested in making a character, and check out the cbox below if you have any questions! Hope to RP with you soon!
Each player should have one Out of Character (OOC) account.
Each player should have a character account and character profile post for each of their characters.
The "register" button in the top left corner of the site can only be seen while logged out, so logging out is the first step of making a new account of any type.
Out of Character (OOC) Account
OOC accounts are used for posting out of character. They are also used to control NPCs and the like when running events (which players are allowed to do - see the site rules for more information!).
Click “Register” in the top left corner of the site and then fill out what the form asks you.
Choose “OOC Account” for race, and whatever you want for gender ("gender: OOC Account" is fine).
The short summary section can be filled with gibberish. As can all the other sections - most of those are either for character accounts or completely optional.
You can/should link each character account to your OOC account. This allows you to easily switch between your linked accounts while posting.
Character Accounts
Each Character Account is for posting as that character in the In Character (IC) sections of the board! A character still needs a profile thread (see the next two sections).
If logged in, log out. Then click “register” in the top left corner of site.
Fill out all "Required" information.
Unlike the OOC account, the short summary section should actually describe the gist of your PC concept. It doesn't need to be elaborate - ironing out specifics is often done during the character profile thread creation, we just want to make sure your character isn't a city-sized lobster or something.
Make sure you answer the security question + image verification.
You’ll then be approved for creating a character profile thread (see next section).
You can (and should) link your PC account to your OOC account by going to the PC account's user CP, clicking "linked accounts" and miscellaneous , and typing in the username/password of your OOC account. This will allow you to quickly switch accounts while posting!
Making a Character Profile Thread for a Character Account
A character's profile thread is basically their application, and it is also where you keep track of the items, gold, spells, etc. that character possesses.
Make a new thread in the in the character approval subforum for your character. Using your character account for that character is preferred.
If you are uncomfortable with a public approval process, we can keep it private. Just PM the staff, say so in the Cbox, whatever works for you.
Jump Start Bonus
Each player may have up to three of their characters start with the Jumpstart Bonus, which will add +150 gold and one minor to the normal total of 200 gold and three minors, making the characters’ new total 350 gold and four minors!
Note: You can choose to save the bonus for later characters (instead of the first three), and can choose to have a character receive the bonus at a later point in time.
Does not stack with the old Grand Opening Bonus.
How to Fill Out The Character Profile Thread / Application
Race, appearance, apparel, and backstory, etc - just fill these out. See the example PC below for more information.
Pick 0,1, or 2 Aspects. The Aspects say what they give the character (usually a single Leveled Talent plus some other benefits).
Create 0,1, 2, or 3 Minors (or 4, if using Jump Start bonus). You can make up minors or grab purchasable stuff with them. The staff will approve these minors, and/or work with you to iron out a tweaked minor that fits your desires.
Any aspects, talents, and/or minors left unchosen can be decided later. Perhaps your character isn't aware of their potential yet, or (in the case of minors) is about to get very, very lucky.
Characters start with 200 gold. Spend as much of that as you want. Usually this is spent acquiring spells (most talents given by the aspects are leveled by learning spells).
Side Note: The gold on a character's sheet is assumed to be what they have left after living expenses - having a character buy a drink, sleep at an inn, etc. does not reduce the amount of gold they have saved up. You can choose to play a character that's otherwise broke, of course, if you want to.
Give your PC mundane stuff that makes sense for them - leather armor, iron weapons, rations, cooking equipment, musical instruments, etc. generally don't cost starting gold or take up minor slots.
We realize there are a LOT of options. Please feel free to ask the staff for help deciding what's right for your character! PM, Cbox, whatever. We'd be happy to help you!
Below is an example. Note that you can put more in your post than the below, and you can play around with the sections as long as the needed information is in your post. All PCs start with 200g, 2 aspects, 3 Minors (see below), and can have several other non-magical possessions as well. As noted in the previous section, you can use the Jump Start bonus to start with 350g and 4 minors instead.
Bill the Example Race: Example Gender: Male Age: Doesn’t need to be exact (25, “old”, etc) Height: 5’7” Weight: Optional Strength: Average <- You don't need to state this if it is average, only if it is something different. Being unusually strong is a minor. See "Strengths and Averages" page for more information. Physical Description: Pretty weak looking. Disheveled, but otherwise rather clean. <- This section can be long or very short, and can be combined with the apparel section. Apparel: Most of Bill’s clothes look like he dug them out of a trash heap (because he did). His pants are green, his shirt orange, his feet unadorned, and he’s never without the massive sack he carries over his back. The only nice-looking thing on his person is the gleaming metal belt buckle he wears on a string around his neck. Maybe someday he’ll actually get that belt he’s always wanted… <- This section can also be long or short, but generally should cover anything someone might immediately notice (like armor, fanciness of clothes, etc).
Backstory: Bill grew up in the poorer parts of Tiburon, turning to crime at a young age to make ends meet. Unfortunately, Bill was a terrible thief. It’s hard to even describe just HOW BAD he was. Let’s put it this way: sometimes his targets ended up with more money than they started with. Thus, Bill turned to what he considered the more noble pursuit of janitorial work. He proved quite adept at this, and soon found himself in the employ of a merchant. This man, George the Example NPC, was kind enough to start teaching Bill magic over the years (Granted, that might have been because he felt guilty about how little he was paying him). To the astonishment of both of them, Bill turned out to be a natural firemage! George insisted Bill take a trip to Verto and make something of himself. Bill complied, setting out to finally be something bigger than a floor swabber. <- This is a mid-length backstory, shorter is fine but the character must have one and it needs to be more than “Diego the Other Example PC woke up in a ditch with amnesia. Like, this morning”. On the other hand, if your backstory is really long, please put it in [spoiler=Full_Backstory][/spoiler] and include a shorter summary of your backstory that covers the gist of it (and anything that might need approval, like NPC connections).
The Story Of Bill: Some players like to keep track of their PC’s adventures on their character sheet. This isn’t required but it can be fun to look through what someone has done. Affiliations and Contacts: George the Example NPC, the Tiburon Example Society <- This is optional but advised, and some people split this further into allies/enemies/NPC affiliations/etc.
Skills and Abilities
Aspect: True Mage <-You can copy-paste the benefits if you feel like it. Aspect: Fire BrandedLeveled Talent: Lord of Flames<- Please include the levels you’ve reached. Some players like to copy paste the entire 10 levels, change the color to silver, and then have the color of the levels they have reached be that art’s color. Some players also like to rename their aspect/talent (such as "Lady of Flames" or "Through Fire He Acts"). This is fine, but please leave a note like "[Lord of Flames]" after the description. The staff can generally tell without a note but it might confuse other players. Mark of the Sun:Bill’s first example minor is this unique ability. Like all minors, this is usually something the player makes up. As the name implies, it’s a minor special ability, magic item, etc. You can use your minor to start with buyable things, such as a weapon with a basic art rune, although you can’t use your minor to start with more spells or battle posts. A minor might also represent a powerful social connection, like a friendly noble that can occasionally get the PC out of trouble in Delvena through his connections. To continue with this example: Bill can will his left hand to erupt with flame, coating it in a fire that does not harm him.
Weapons and Armor Ol’ Rusty [In Sack] Ol’Rusty is a magical steel blade (modifier 4) that doesn’t conduct heat and appears to be impervious to cold. Bill's second example minor. This is a bit on the weak side, so let's count this as only ~2/3 a minor.
Bow of Omens[In Sack] A bow Bill found hidden in a ditch while wandering around Tiburon. The Bow of Omens is a magical bow made from a strange blackened wood as tough as iron (modifier 3). The bow is resistant to fire, and gives off a sinister feeling to anyone who looks at it. The bow also infuses any arrows it fires with all powers, rune-granted or otherwise, the bow possesses. The bow is currently rune-less. These arrows remain empowered for 3 posts after firing. Bill’s third example minor Bill’s Other Sword[In Sack] An ordinary iron blade. Bill’s Other Sword serves as an example of what someone might give their PC weapon-wise without it counting as a minor. I.E. non-magical and no better than modifier 3. If Bill had a large number of iron swords that might count as a minor.
Spells
Primal
[Lvl 1] Shield
[Lvl 1] Lesser Telekinesis
^There are many different ways you might format the spell section, and other players may appreciate it if you include the descriptions of how the spells work (it might make remembering what your PC can do easier for you as well!). We only require that you note what spells your PC knows. True Mage gives you shield and lesser TK for free, which is why Bill has them here.
Other Possessions <- Some players split this section further into magical vs non-magical Belt Buckle[Worn] - Bill's buckle glows faintly whenever a fire is within 40' of it. PC’s only get three minors, but Ol'Rusty really isn't that strong. In this case Bill is approvable with a fourth on-the-weak-side minor. On the other hand, a really strong minor might count as two minors by itself (like a magical warhorse or something). Sack - A big leather sack. Bill’s sack contains many possessions that don’t count as minors, like rations and soap and some rope and some eating utensils and some books and a silver ring that belonged to his late uncle and various other minutia we don’t demand you keep careful track of (like arrows for a bow). We do ask you note things like rope ahead of time though.
Pets<- Optional section, big pets (large dog, wolf, etc) might count as a minor. Magical pet definitely counts as a minor. As noted above, a really awesome magical pet might count as two minors if it is allowed at all. Please don’t combine “people will want to attack this in a fight / this animal is dangerous in a fight” with “it is very hard for to justify this pet surviving a blow” such as by having, say, a fire-breathing sparrow. Gold: 200 gold <- All PCs start with 200g. You can start having already spent the gold on spells and whatnot, just note that you did that. Gold is used to buy stuff. However! We assume your PC has other small change they can use for buying drinks and whatnot – the gold on your sheet and the gold you get from quests and such is specifically what your PC has to spend on spells and such, not what they might be spending to not starve and have a place to sleep in towns.
And that’s the example!
DRAWBACKS: Perhaps your PC has below average strength or some other weakness. That's okay, and balancing that out with a little more power elsewhere is okay as well... BUT! We will not accept crippling drawbacks, drawbacks that would make your PC annoying to play or interact with (mute, can't work with other people due to a curse, explodes in sunlight, deadly allergy to grass, etc), drawbacks that are clearly designed to bar you from something you'd never be doing anyway for ++power, etc. Most "big" drawbacks fall into those categories. In general, we don't recommend you use drawbacks. We doubly recommended you don't use a drawback as a roleplaying crutch, as that tends to get boring after a few months of RPing (if not sooner).
Example Template For Character Profile
[B]REPLACE WITH NAME[/B]
[B]Race:[/B]
[B]Gender:[/B]
[B]Age:[/B]
[B]Height:[/B]
[b]Weight:[/b] Optional.
[b]Strength:[/b] Average
[b]Physical Description:[/b]
[b]Apparel:[/b]
[b]Backstory:[/b]
[b]The Story Of NAME:[/b] Optional, nothing to put here at start anyway.
[b]Affiliations and Contacts:[/b] Optional
[b][u]Skills and Abilities[/u][/b]
[b]Aspect:[/b]
[b]Leveled Talent:[/b]
[b]Aspect:[/b]
[b]Leveled Talent:[/b]
[b][u]Spells[/u][/b]
[b][u]Weapons and Armor[/u][/b]
[b][u]Other Magical Possessions[/u][/b]
[b][u]Other Mundane Possessions[/u][/b]
[b][u]Pets[/u][/b]
[b]Gold:[/b]
