Character Restrictions

From The Domains of Dread

Any new character created by a player in The Domains of Dread must observe the following restrictions regarding premise and content:

  1. Characters must be at least 18 years of age or the age of adulthood for their race. Even if they are naive, they must have the mental and emotional faculties of an adult capable of adult decision-making.
  2. The backstory given for a character must have some relevance to the background selected for them during character creation, and furthermore should be plausible at the 3rd level, or the 5th level with the Mist Token option selected. Characters cannot claim “absence” or “theft” of preexisting power as an excuse for their low level. The Domains of Dread is a low-medium magic gothic fantasy and likewise implausible or high magic backstories are more likely to be rejected in the application process.
  3. Outlanders entering the world at the 3rd level cannot have any prior experience or time spent in the demiplane—when they enter the world is also fictionally the first time they enter the demiplane. If they enter the world at the 5th level then they are allowed to have spent up to 3 months inside the demiplane and have been Misted to their spawn location rather than to the demiplane as a whole.
  4. Natives cannot be the legitimate members of noble houses or aristocratic families, even minor ones, without taking the Mist Token option and expressing likewise in their application. Illegitimate or disowned members of these houses or families do not have to take the Mist Token option, but their circumstances should still be disclosed as part of the application process.
  5. Characters must not work jobs or professions associated with proximity to erotic roleplay, per the Game Rules. Having worked these professions in a backstory is acceptable so long as they are no longer relevant and written responsibly.
  6. Characters must have a viable first and last name, no matter if what they supply to other characters differs. No character may have a “true name” which is a mononym or title. No references to famous people are allowed, even if fictional.
  7. The choice of class archetype must have some relevance to the character’s backstory and present circumstances. It should be noted that class archetype as an in character ideologue is far more prevalent in The Domains of Dread. It will be expected that the article regarding their class archetype has been read prior to applying. While artistic liberties and divergences are expected and welcome, classes with narrow alignment or conduct requirements such as Paladin are subject to scrutiny. It should be assumed that if a class archetype is evil only such as Dark Knight’s then there exists the expectation that those characters will be defined beyond mere acts of evil.
  8. Any character may be an antagonist in The Domains of Dread, even if they are not a Dread Figure. Should it be the player’s intent to angle a character’s story toward becoming any of the available Dread Figure templates, that should be disclosed during the application process so that Game Masters are aware to help in the telling. Antagonist play is difficult and often best aided by Game Masters—however, if the character is not yet a Dread Figure, then they must observe the Character versus Character Rules and do not enjoy Dread Figure specific exemptions.
  9. Falsehoods in how a character might present their backstory to other characters are acceptable, but anything provided to the Game Masters during the application process should be the truth. Deviations from the application due to the player changing their mind are also acceptable so long as the alteration is disclosed to the Game Masters where especially relevant, such as membership to a noble house or family or about the character’s “true name”.
  10. Any player may have 2 characters who do not have Dread Figure templates active at a time. If a 3rd character is applied for, Game Masters will inquire as to whom should be shelved to make room for the incoming character. Attempting to misrepresent who the player is in order to circumvent this active character limit is grounds for being removed from The Domains of Dread.