The Newbie Guide

Welcome to Faerun! The Newbie Guide has all the information you will need for joining and playing on Faerun. All members need to be aware of the information on this page, as it is all vital to the gameplay.
==What is Faerun?==
Faerun is the continent in which this RP is based. It is currently year 1373, and after the return of the greater deity Bane and the ascention of the deity Blair.
===Culture/Technology===
Economically and technologically, Faerûn is comparable to Western Europe during the late Middle Ages, giving most new players using this campaign setting an intuitive grasp of the way the society functions. Gunpowder, known here as the magical substance smoke powder and different in its composition from historical gunpowder, is starting to make an appearance, but much of the armament is still dominated by pre-gunpowder weaponry such as swords, spears, and bows. Most of the population of Faerûn consists of farmers, who are organized somewhat loosely in a semi-feudal system. There are also a number of notable cities, and trade between nations is common, comparable to the Renaissance era. Likewise, there are regions where more barbaric tribes and customs still persist.
===Geography===
Faerûn is a fictional subcontinent, the primary setting of the Dungeons & Dragons world of Forgotten Realms. It also happens to be the primary setting of this RP! There are opportunities for characters to travel to other continents, and even other planes, in the 'Elsewhere' forum.
An interactive map of Faerun with in-depth descriptions for each location can be found here.
===Organizations===
There are a number of organized alliances in Faerûn, with each pursuing their own particular agenda. A few are dedicated to decent and honest causes, such as the Harpers, who protect the good-natured races and seek a balance between civilization and nature. The Harpers are opposed by evil organizations, including the Red Wizards of Thay and the nihilistic Cult of the Dragon. In the northern lands, the Zhentarim is an evil network seeking to dominate the region. Their efforts are being resisted by the Lords' Alliance, a council of knights that pursues the interests of the northern cities. Other organizations of Faerûn include the magical Seven Sisters, a band of assassins called the Fire Knives, a group of ruthless thieves operating out the city of Waterdeep named the Xanathar's Guild, and the mysterious Shades—-the returning survivors of the long-fallen Netheril empire.
==What do I need to know about the Forgotten Realms/DnD prior to joining?==
This RP Board is based more on writing than the actual rules and logistics of DnD. Members are expected to keep their characters realistic, so a level one wizard wouldn't be able to take on a dragon and survive.
You don't need to have read any Forgotten Realms novels or know the DnD system in order to play on this board. It is all pretty self explanatory and the parts that aren't are laid out on this page. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask an admin or post it in the CBOX. We have very experience DnD people on this board who are always willing to help you out.
==Rules of Conduct/Registration==
Please read and follow the rules that are posted. Warnings will only be used to a point. Suspension and banning are the next steps. And we really don't want to do either of those.
===Registration===
When you register with the boards register as your character's name, first, middle and last all correctly capitalized. It makes things a lot easier and a lot less confusing. If you join with the wrong name the an administrator will changed your name for you after the application has been accepted.
===Posting Your Character Application===
When posting your application please title it Last Name, First Name. Also please don’t post anywhere IC until your application is accepted.
===Board Rating===
The rating is R but there are some guidelines. If your character swears, be realistic about it. Swearing after every word will not be permitted. If doing an graphic scene please give the reader plenty of warning, both in the topic description and at the beginning of your post. Violence, sexual content, drug and alcohol use, swearing, and other such things are permitted, but only in moderation. Please remember that you must have the permission of the player whose character you are RPing with before you engage in violence or sexual themes with that character.
===Limits on Characters per Player===
There is currently no limit on the amount of characters you can have. We just ask that you keep them all active. If we see that you are not keeping one or more of your characters active, we will suspend those accounts until the problem is rectified. Easy solution? Don't make more character then you have time for.
===Interacting with others===
No bashing members, staff, or guests! It is okay for your character criticize another character within an RP post but bashing the person who plays the character is not allowed. If we see you do it, you will get a warning first and will be asked to apologize to the offended party, next offense you will be banned.
====The Chatbox====
*The sidebar chat is rated PG-13
*No swearing/flamming/etc should occur in the cbox.
*Spamming or advertising will result in an immediate ban from the chatbox and a warning on your board account.
*Making fun of members or guests, even if it is just 'joking', shall not be tolerated and will result in a warning. If the warning is not upheld you will be banned from the sidebar cbox for two months.
*You will respect the staff at all times. If they tell you to stop something, you better stop. Individual staff will ban at their own discretion.
*Character creation is not to be discussed on the cbox. Asking a simple question about something you are unsure about is fine, but asking the staff to approve sections of your application within the cbox will not be tolerated. This is what the character application section of the board is for. If you have lengthy questions about something like stats, post the question as a reply to your WIP character application.
*Ganging up on members, guests, or staff will not be tolerated and will result in a warning. If the warning is not upheld you will be banned from the sidebar cbox for two months.
*If you see any of the above rules being broken, notify a staff member via PM. Do not attempt to address this problem if you are not a staff member.
===Advertising===
Please don't PM members about other RPG sites. We won't allow it. If this occurs, you will likely be banned without warning depending on the severity of your offense. Advertising should happen in the ad forum only. So this means no advertising in the cbox either.
===Spam===
Absolutely no spam. It will be deleted and you will be asked to discontinue it or face the consequences. Those who are caught spamming your post count (and bank account) will be set back to zero, no questions asked.
==Everything You Need To Know About Character Creation==
===Character Race===
There are many races in Faerun, but characters will most commonly be of the humanoid variety. The main races are Dwarves, Elves, Gnomes, Orcs, Halflings, and Humans. Though there are additional races, these are the main ones. This list describes some additional races and sub races. You can choose to use a race not on these lists, so long as you remember to take Level Adjustment into account.
We want to keep the races of Faerun as realistic as possible. For instance, humans should always be a greater majority on this board than any other race. No caps have currently been placed on the board regarding races.
Please note the Level Adjustment for races when considering your ECL. If the LA is +4, then that automatically counts as your character having four racial levels that can't be used on classes. You can find a list of common races and their level adjustments here.
===Character Classes===
A list of base classes can be found here. A list of prestige classed can be found here or here. Players cannot attain a prestige class until after level five. You may come across other base or prestige classes in DnD Sourcebooks. As long as these are canon classes compatible with the 3.5ed Forgotten Realm setting you may use them. We are not currently accepting Homebrew classes.
===Character Levels===
====Low Level Characters====
A Low Level Character is any character that falls into an ECL (esimated character level) of 1 to 10. Your first character must be at level 5 or below. However, any following character can be from level 1-10 without penalty.
====High Level Characters====
A High Level Character is any character that falls into an ECL of 11 through 20. Once your combined characters have made 50 In-Character posts, you are allowed to make one High Leveled Character. At 100 posts, you can make as many as you wish. High leveled characters that are inactive without notice for more than three weeks will be removed.
====Regarding Epic Characters====
An Epic Character is any character that has an ECL of 21 or higher. Once your combined characters have made 200 In-Character posts, you are allowed to make Epic Characters. Epic Characters will face a much more strenuous application process than other characters. Epic leveled characters that are inactive without notice for more than two weeks will be removed.
===Following a Deity===
Almost every character in Faerun serves or recognizes a deity. Go here for a thorough listing of all of Faerun's deities.
===Playing a Deity===
Deities are not playable, unless you have explicit admin permission, have the ability to play epic characters, and your motivation to play a deity furthers the plot of the board. We will not allow players to play canon deities. That is what DMs are for.
===Posting the Application===
Once you have all the information about your character filled out, posting the application is the easy part! Use the code found in this forum to post your application.
====Character Sheets====
Some people choose to incorporate Character Sheet into their application, which provide detailed statistics about their characters. While these are not required, they are encouraged as they give other players and Dungeon Masters a method to compare your character to other players and combat encounters along the way. This also helps prevent godmodding. If you are inexperienced with Character Sheets this Character Sheet Generator is a handy tool. If you have any questions you can always as it, either in the Questions and Suggestions forum or in the cbox.
===WIP (Work in Progress) Applications===
WIP (Work In Progress) applications are allowed. However, please put WIP in the Topic Title of your application until you have completed your application. Once you complete your application, remove the WIP tag from the Topic Title and post a reply to your application, stating that you are now finished with it. Your application should be reviewed within the week (though it usually takes no more than a day). If it is not, PM an administrator. Any WIP applications that have not been completed within 20 Days of the original posting will be moved to the Unfinished Applications forum. If a user would like to 'resurrect' their application, they can PM a staff member. After an administrator replies to your application with the necessary changes, you have up to 20 Days to make the necessary corrections or the application will be archived. If a user would like to 'resurrect' their application, they can PM a staff member.
==Other Important Character Creation Rules==
===Magical Items===
Rules on magical items can be found here.
===Leveling Up===
Rules on leveling up can be found here.
==Posting In-Character==
All posts must be in past tense form. No one liners, all posts must be substantial enough to allow your fellow RPers to have enough to go off of. You can't post an OOC post only in an In-Character forum. It has to have some in character text. Don't double post if you want to have your character leave and no one has posted after you. Use the edit button. That's what it is there for. Please don’t god-mod, you will be warned if you are caught doing that. Posting order varies from thread to thread. Some thread participants may elect for free-for-all posting order, while others may wish to establish a set posting order.
===Threads Per Character===
You can be in as many threads as you like as long as you can keep up with them. If you want someone specific to reply to your thread tag it with that character's name. If you don't care who replies you can put open or leave the description field blank.