Caer Adeg-y-Lleuad is a player-moderated setting. By this, we mean that this is a cooperative venture. In the interest of keeping conflict between players to an absolute minimum the following guidelines are established. You can think of these as the rules of play at Caer Adeg, but we hope that by presenting them as friendly suggestions that you will be more willing to consider them and take them to heart. Players straying too far from these guidelines invite controversy, and may find their windows of in-character interaction with other players, as well as their ability to affect the course of Waning Moon plotlines, limited.
There is an email discussion group for this shared setting, and players are strongly encouraged to join and to review the Archives in order to garner a better understanding of what issues have been discussed and what conclusions have been collectively reached. This mailing list is the main instrument of player moderation for Caer Adeg-y-Lleuad, and is intended to provide every player with a say in the management of the setting. You will find it at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/newhold. The link provided will open the mailing list page in a new window.
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Character Creation
The life of any role-playing setting is the characters. Their stories, large and small, their loves and hates, triumphs and tragedies are the reason this site exists. Because these are the masks we make to wear in playing out the drama of Waning Moon, it is important that characters created for this setting are of compatible types. At this time, the setting only supports characters made for Changeling: The Dreaming, from the system outlined in the Second Edition rulebook, or from sourcebooks written for Changeling.
- Character Concept
Anyone wishing to play a character regularly at Caer Adeg-y-Lleaud must send their character concept to the mailing list for peer scrutiny and be prepared to modify it based on criticism. The concept should be as complete as possible, but at a bare minimum should include the following: WHO they are (kith, seeming, House, etc), WHERE they come from (at least a broad brush-stroke history), WHAT they do (mortal occupation, main abilities, strengths and weaknesses, Arts), WHY they are here (unless they live locally, this must be justified: "just passing through" is not sufficient, if you want to play regularly), and their appearance (to include any significant Treasures or other equipment).
- Permitted Concepts
Strictly speaking, this is anything within the scope of Changeling. However, your first character at Caer Adeg should be one which supports the setting. What does this mean? The Caer is a western, Traditionalist, Eiluned Court with a medieval flavour - think about courtiers, knights, craftsmen, household staff and the like. Stick to concepts presented in the core rulebook. Once you have played here for a while you might want to try something more exotic or off-beat and these ideas are more likely to be accepted as a second character.
- Character Sheet
The Caer Adeg-y-Lleuad setting is primarily about acting, not game mechanics.
Create your character concept first, their history and personality. Then
consider everything on the character sheet with the concept in mind. Try not to
buy traits just because they seem neat - the chances are that dozens of other
players have already had the same idea. Try to create the character you want as a Starting Level character, with the usual 15 Freebie points. Characters which depend upon a long list of high traits in order to seem impressive are boring. If you are uncertain of anything you wish to give your character, ask for the opinion of other players first and respect the views of the majority above your own. This
is the key to harmonious play in a shared environment.
- Permitted Traits
If this is your first character in the Waning Moon setting, try to use only material from the core rulebook. This includes the nine Kiths, the five Houses, the six Arts, Abilities, Backgrounds and Merits/Flaws. Once you are familiar with the setting you may submit something more exotic: the other players are more likely to accept an unusual idea if you have played here regularly with a core character. If you submit an initial character not of the nine basic kiths and five Houses, expect to have it rejected.
- Attributes and Abilities
Remember that 5 is human maximum: the World's Strongest Man has Strength 5,
Sir Lawrence Olivier had Acting 5. Think very carefully before having a trait above
4 and remember that it also gives your character no chance to grow in that
area. Specialties chosen for traits rated at 4 or above should be chosen to reflect the personality and history of the character rather than to "grandstand" with the intent to out-class or eclipse other characters.
- Backgrounds
Any of Title, Treasure, Chimera (companion) or Holdings above level 2 should be
taken only as a vital part of your character's concept. Be prepared to
modify them if the majority of player opinion is against them when first introduced
in play.
- Arts and Realms
Kithain with level 5 in one Art and 4 in another are called Sorcerers and are deemed very powerful. Unless your character has been dedicated to the Arts for years, avoid high
levels. Any Art at level 4 or more will need a very good explanation,
especially in a wilder. Realms follow the same guidelines.
- Merits and Flaws
Try to limit you character to a minimum of Merits and Flaws - one or two of
each. Observe the play in this and other settings for a while and you will notice some Merits and Flaws are already very popular. Please reconsider taking them for your character. Many quirks or ideosyncracies of a character's personality come out best through role play, and do not require taking a specific Merit or Flaw to justify them.
Similarly, a Merit or Flaw which reiterates a trait which your character already possesses should be avoided. A Gwydion knight can be presumed to already have a "Code of Honor" by virtue of his basic nature. A Dougal is already "Lame" (or Blind, or Deaf); an Eiluned is naturally "Curious". Further, take only those flaws you intend to play as flaws. For instance, a Dark Secret should be something other characters can learn, and which will actually be a hinderance to your character if generally known.
- A note on Starting Characters:
Despite the name, a new character created using the systems given in the Changeling rule book need not be a changeling newly sained, without a history or awareness of the Enchated World. A beginning character can be pretty much anything. I can create a Master Swordsman, a Potent Sorcerer, a Scheming Baron or a Genius Artisan entirely within the confines of the point allotment system and the basic 15 Freebie Points. If I can, you can too.
It may well be that a beginning character will not have all of the prowess and finesse you imagine her ideally having. This is intentional. A character who is not yet what they desire to be has incentive to learn and to grow. A beginning character thus has incentive to interact with others and room to develop with the course of the story.
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