How To Get Your RPG Approved

[Ashley]

Well it seems a lot of you hopeful GMs are sprouting up these days, so let me make it a little easier on you.

Just follow these steps and your RPG is sure to be approved:

1. Think up an idea. Try to be creative, branch out into areas that have never been done before. Be warned that your RPG cannot contain:
- Excessive, gorey, bloody violence/descriptions of violence
- No nudity/sex scenes, and no scantily clad characters (must follow picture guidelines)
- No cussing ( you can say, "he cursed beneath his breath" or what have you)
- No magic. If you have a really, really good idea and you want to plead your case, we'll hear you out but for the most part no magic just for the sake of magic
- No vampires, werewolves, witches--things associated with the occult. Again, if you have some stellar idea you want to make an argument for you can try but you will probably get told no

2. Post a proposal thread. Let people know the premise, the plot (if there is one) and how to construct characters. It might also be helpful to explain how the RPG will run (is there a posting restriction per day? etc.) and the basic rules of the game.

3. Wait for people to become interested and post character summaries, etc.

4. When you have enough people, PM any staffer and provide them with a link to your proposal thread

5. If they approve, they will move or create a new thread for you here in the main section.
DO NOT BEGIN RP'ING ON YOUR PROPOSAL THREAD! If we find out we will delete your thread! No exceptions!

[skylender]

can we add dragons and basilisks? or dark knights?. and can we add npcs?
sorry if i broke the rules posting, i didn't see any q&a rpg forum.

[User Name]

I'm not trying to spark up anything here, but I just wanted to ask just one question.

Why "No werewolves, witches, vampires, and magic?"

Unless you're talking about the original ones where werewolves, witches, magic, and vampires were evil, satanic and all, I'm still baffled by this question.

Just asking.

[Veru]

Ahhhh well why say werewolves and stuf make up ur own lazy:)

[rocklobster]

actually some magic is allowed, as long as it's not done by religious means. My Dragon Children RP uses magic.

[josh_manga]

So, on the Rules for Submitting thread it says magic will be dealt with on a thread-by-thread basis, but here it says there's no magic allowed unless it's a really good idea. What constitutes as a good idea?

What about a Middle Earth style world, or Final Fantasy, where magic is a part of how the world works?

[goldenspines]

So, on the Rules for Submitting thread it says magic will be dealt with on a thread-by-thread basis, but here it says there's no magic allowed unless it's a really good idea. What constitutes as a good idea?

What about a Middle Earth style world, or Final Fantasy, where magic is a part of how the world works?

Role Playing Games are the best when the settings hardly matters as much as the characters or the story driving it. An RPG can be fantastic with no magic. And often, the non-magic ones are much more enjoyable than the magic ones since it gives the character more limitations against adversaries. That's the most exciting to play out.
The goal in making an RPG is not to put supernatural things in it to make it better, but to make it the best it can be and then perhaps add supernatural things if they serve a greater purpose.

That being said, our rules on magical content in RPGs currently falls in line with fairy tale-ish magic (see: Disney). Others that don't clearly follow in line with that will be dealt with on a case by case basis.

[josh_manga]

Role Playing Games are the best when the settings hardly matters as much as the characters or the story driving it. An RPG can be fantastic with no magic. And often, the non-magic ones are much more enjoyable than the magic ones since it gives the character more limitations against adversaries. That's the most exciting to play out.
The goal in making an RPG is not to put supernatural things in it to make it better, but to make it the best it can be and then perhaps add supernatural things if they serve a greater purpose.

That being said, our rules on magical content in RPGs currently falls in line with fairy tale-ish magic (see: Disney). Others that don't clearly follow in line with that will be dealt with on a case by case basis.

But then the adversaries have the same limitations as the heroes in a magic-less game, so i don't see much of a difference there. Besides, i think that's a matter of opinion, i've played plenty of sessions with magical characters and they seemed to have plenty of fun, but not so much that it overshadowed the normal fighter and ranger types, guess it's a balance issue.

Not sure what you meant by putting supernatural things in to make the game better, what do you mean by better? If the game is better for it why wouldn't you put it in? I prefer a fantasy setting, and i generally accept that supernatural is a given part of that setting. A fantasy setting without magic is historical fiction, or alternate earth to me. I don't have a problem with those genre's, i just don't play them.

When i moderate a game, i like to use a persistent setting, regardless of story or characters involved. It just sits there like the game board, a set of rules or mechanics that help me as the moderator to determine what can or cannot be done. It's really not a concern for the players, but it's a concern for me as the moderator of a game.

In terms of magic power, i don't think players should be able to summon Meteor like Sephiroth and destroy the whole planet, that would destroy the campaign. But i like having some in because i think it defines the experience, as you mentioned, fairytale like. If i sit down to watch a Disney princess story i expect some magic to be involved, along with much of the anime i watch, or the rpgs i play on console or computer, like Final Fantasy, Secret of Mana, Shining Force. FF6, Kefka becomes a god and has to be taken down. Secret of Mana, the Mana Tree is the source of magic in the world and has to be saved from the clutches of evil. Shining Force, some kind of impersonal Light empowers humanity to combat demons of the nether world. It's all part of the setting as well as the story, and in some cases defines who the characters are.

So, in instances like those, would magic be acceptable?

Just to clarify, i hope no one thinks i'm trying to change the rules or buck the system, i'm just trying to clarify what seems to be a rather vague rule, for myself and others who may follow. Most of the rules set above are very clear and set, easy to understand and follow, but with each post i've read different people's opinions on the acceptable level of magic, so i'm trying to gain some clarity.

[goldenspines]

In terms of magic power, i don't think players should be able to summon Meteor like Sephiroth and destroy the whole planet, that would destroy the campaign. But i like having some in because i think it defines the experience, as you mentioned, fairytale like. If i sit down to watch a Disney princess story i expect some magic to be involved, along with much of the anime i watch, or the rpgs i play on console or computer, like Final Fantasy, Secret of Mana, Shining Force. FF6, Kefka becomes a god and has to be taken down. Secret of Mana, the Mana Tree is the source of magic in the world and has to be saved from the clutches of evil. Shining Force, some kind of impersonal Light empowers humanity to combat demons of the nether world. It's all part of the setting as well as the story, and in some cases defines who the characters are.

So, in instances like those, would magic be acceptable?

Since I don't know the specifics of your own planned RPG, my generic answer is "yes, I believe it would be acceptable."

I have yet to see any story where the magic "defined" who the character is. It's their personality and actions that define them, not their abilities. But, if you have the spare time, you can make that case to me via PM (not affecting getting your RPG approved, but simply for conversation's sake if you like)

Just to clarify, i hope no one thinks i'm trying to change the rules or buck the system, i'm just trying to clarify what seems to be a rather vague rule, for myself and others who may follow. Most of the rules set above are very clear and set, easy to understand and follow, but with each post i've read different people's opinions on the acceptable level of magic, so i'm trying to gain some clarity.

It tends to be quite difficult since in the past there was a clear "no magic" rule. We were rather easy on that rule over the years, though. Hence why I said it would be your best bet to avoid using magic altogether so you wouldn't have to deal with treading the line on this.

Overall, if you have fear of creating an RPG only to have it not approved later, send a copy of your proposed RPG (details and all) a moderator to give you feedback.