Character Applications

## Character Backstory Requirements

Please note: As of December 24, 2019 -- We will only be considering applications for the character concepts below **AFTER** the player in question has reached level 5 with an alternative character. The application details below have been updated to reflect this.

* Evil Divine Classes (Cleric / Druid)
* Paladin Class
* ~~Divine Classes~~
* ~~Divine/Nature Class (Druid)~~
* ~~Evil Characters (LE, NE, CE)~~
* ~~All Prestige Classes~~
* "Special" Races (Drow, Aasimar, Tiefling)

* Characters with more than 1 (or two in the case of a Racial adjustment) Single Digit Stat.
	+ Characters with less than 8 in any stat.

**Backstories can take up to 1 week for approval. Please be aware that we base our decision based on input from multiple Admin, and our perception of the setting may differ than from what you might be used to. We are under no obligation to approve a character concept simply because someone has used it before on a previous server, or has used it for the past 10, 20 or 30+ years in tabletop games.**

Backstories must be submitted to "SilverSnow" via a Message on the forums. If you character crosses over into multiple backstory-requirements (i.e. Evil Cleric), please ensure you put thought into what it is you are submitting. Submission of a backstory does not guarantee approval.

Note on Evil Applications: The setting of TDN is primarily Neutral and Good-Aligned, with Evil characters being the villains of the story. We will ask any evil characters being applied for to have a long-term goal and purpose on TDN that justifies their continued and patient presence in the game region. The DM team will actively help the Evil character work towards this goal, especially if it involves other player-characters and elements of the local setting.

Characters should be designed to be unique without sacrificing the integrity of the race, deity, lore. For example, Dwarves worshipping inside the Elven pantheon would be a negative. Sure it could be explained with an elaborate story, however it isn’t consistent to the setting and represents the .0001%. Similarly, it would take significant work to clarify why an Elf would worship another pantheons deity in the event a similar-portfolio-deity exists within the Elven Pantheon. Players should explore ways to identify and develop a unique personality, while staying true to many of the tenants of the race, class, lore, etc.

All characters should anticipate some form of feedback during their tenure on TDN. The same way we challenge each other as staff to do better in our roles, we will also challenge the playerbase to think differently and explore new ideas related to their character. This is especially true for Divine classes who we hold a special degree of care for when approving/denying applications as their impact on the setting is more substantial than many other classes.

## Backstory Details to Submit:

-- New PC Details --
Please provide a summary of your character's background and describe them:

DIVINE ONLY1. Deity Worshiped:
2. How will your character exercise their deity's dogma? If a cleric, what methods would the character use to spread their god's faith and promote their dogma?
3. How will your character practice their faith on a day to day basis? What rituals of their faith and behaviors specific to the faith will they exhibit?
4. When considering your character's faith, what are their goals?
5. How will your character interact with other members of their church, including laymen, clergy, and their superiors in any church hierarchy? What notable interactions would the character have with the clergy of different faiths?

EVIL ONLY1. What is your character's long-term purpose and goal in the area? What is their "plan" that keeps them local, and how can the DM team support it? How will the goal rope in and influence other characters?
2. What makes your character Evil?
3. How will the DM Team see your character represent the Evil Alignment?
4. Given their Evil nature, how is the character able to lead a stable life? How will the character interact with others in a PW server with frequent adventuring and contact?
5. Have you read and understand TDN's stance on Alignment? LINK
6. Do you commit to playing evil for the story-enhancements the alignment brings, and not as a means to engage in PvP without heavy RP justification and OOC communication with all parties?

PRC Specific1. What has your character done in-game to prepare for this Prestige Class, and what sort of exposure have they had to the PrC already? How are they suited to this class specifically? Specific examples of in-game scenarios are very welcome.
2. How will this PRC impact your character? To what end will they utilize their new abilities?

Special Races1. Please provide context for how your character will interact with other races.
2. Are you aware and agree to the fact that the DM Team will not "bail" players out should they choose to reveal sensitive information about their character which could lead to negative In-Game repercussions?
1. Do you understand that IC discovery of your character's race could lead to the character being barred from entering major towns and cities?

2 or 3 Single Digit Stats1. Please list your stat allocation and how you expect to roleplay the single digit stats you are requesting.

## Q&A:

### Why is this required?

Interpretation of many elements of Dungeons & Dragons, Forgotten Realms, Deities, Evil, Prestige Classes, and Special Races vary from person to person. These backstory requirements are meant to act as a means for the DM-team to understand your characters goals and objectives, as well as ensure consistency for the server and for the world we have created/adapted. Any character is an RP ambassador to all other players, and represent the setting in their own way. Characters that require applications simply represent more difficult and nuanced aspects of the setting, requiring more effort to maintain setting consistency and accuracy.

The DM team will be comparing the commitments to the RP of a character made in this application to the RP exhibited in game, and use this application as a gold standard to help guide characters along.

### A DM/Staff Member gave me pointers on my Application, does that help?

Possibly. DMs/Devs will do their best to give direction and feedback prior to submission, however it is not a guarantee that the application will be passed through. The process is based on multiple opinions and generally based on consensus.

### Is the Application Process Subjective and What else is considered?

Yes, it is subjective. There is really no way around this reality. We do our best to be fair when it comes to making determinations about an application. As a team, we also factor in current RP quality when determining whether we will pass an application through (hence the need to wait until later level to apply). It is entirely possible that an application is denied due to poor Roleplay, or Roleplay that does not instill a sense of confidence with the DM Team that a more demanding character concept will be well-represented.

### Is there any way to avoid this process?

No, it is not asking very much to spend some time throwing together some conceptual answers to the questions above. If you prefer to play on TDN without the requirement of a backstory, we recommend selecting a class, race, and alignment that does not require a backstory (there are plenty).

### Can I play the character before submitting the application?

No, after January 5th, 2018 all characters that are not marked for approval will not be able to enter the server portals. If you'd like to make your character beforehand, that is fine, however you will not be able to enter the world until you have sent in your backstory.

### How long do I need to wait before my character is approved?

If you hear nothing after 1 week, reach out to SilverSnow on Discord. We aim to send responses back within 72 hours of submission.

### What happens if my backstory isn't to your liking?

We really aren't trying to mold everyone's character to our own view of how they should behave. There are some tweaks we will recommend, and if there are elements that we feel are egregious enough to change outright, we will voice those. Our objective is to make sure the character represents the faith, alignment, or race as we have defined them on TDN.

In the event a character application is denied. We will provide reasoning/context and players are generally welcome to apply when the next level cap is established. Only in rare circumstances would we say "You are no longer allowed to apply for this character."

### December 24th, 2019 Update: Why is a Pre-Existing Level 5 Character Required?

There are a few reasons:

1. Our brand of setting and RP is different than other servers. Applications, in many cases, can pass the "eyeball test", however the RP from the application fails to show-up in-game. Playing on the server until level 5 allows the admin team to observe an individuals RP prowess and make a more informed decision.
	1. On the flip-side, there are likely a grouping of applications that have been denied because people might be terrible at writing up details about their PC in a way that properly represents them. The DM team seeing first hand your abilities on the server will better help your case.
2. We've received a multitude of what we'd classify as "highly challenging character concepts", which at times have been denied due, frankly, to us trying to protect an individual from seeing their character meet a quick and early demise because of their inability to RP according to the setting expectations. However, there are some that we feel could have passed had we been able to see a consistent trend of strong RP from an individual.
3. Applications deliberation takes time. Often multiple days for the team to discuss and review them. It is frustrating to spend 2-3+ hours discussing an application and adding in thoughtful discussion/debate only to have that person play for 2 days and leave because they did not find our brand of RP to be to their liking. That time could easily have been spent on server-development. Requiring someone to play until level 5 curbs this a great degree.
4. The Dev team has spent countless hours cultivating TDN. Asking a player to 'try out' the server with a non-application character to get a feel for things really isn't that extreme of a request in the long run. If you feel like you must play one single character concept or you'll immediately quit the server, we recommend you simply spend time on another server.