Frequently Asked Questions

[apocalypsehowmods]

↬ Main Navigation

Frequently Asked Questions

Directory
Basic Out-of-Character Information
Applications
Gameplay and Mechanics
Activity Check
Setting and Events
Arrival and Survival
Life in Gloucester

Please be advised, Apocalypse How's setting is inherently a spoiler for aspects of The Magnus Archives. No particular plot points or characters will be used, but the setting concepts draw heavily on material from all seasons.

Basic Out-of-Character Information

➥ What sort of game is Apocalypse How?

Apocalypse How is a cosmic horror, plot-heavy mystery game that centers on characters dealing with supernatural threats and trying to avert apocalypses that threaten to destroy the world they've fallen into. They are aided by an organization called the Apocalypse Disruption Initiative (ADI). Although, ADI bills itself out as one of the most respected organizations on the eastern seaboard: Apex Detective, Inc. ADI is a group created by and for victims of the Dread Powers that exist beyond the veil of this reality.

If they fail, the world will be consumed and everyone in it may spend the rest of their existence in a personalized hellscape, tormented by otherworldly forces that create, feed upon, and embody fear. If they succeed, there might be a chance of figuring out why outsiders, PC and NPC alike, have been brought to this world and how to return them to their own.

The full premise is located HERE.

➥ What genre is Apocalypse How?

Apocalypse How is a limited-run horror mystery game with a particular focus on cosmic horror. Cosmic horror is a sub-genre of horror that explores themes such as the fear and awe experienced when confronted with phenomena beyond human imagining, the inconsequentiality of an individual when considering events from a cosmic scale, horror in the face of truths that may destroy the individual, and an erosion of reality as we know and understand it.

Terrible things will happen to characters. Sometimes these will come about from their own actions. Others, they will simply be unlucky. This genre emphasizes that there is no fairness in the universe. People do not always get what they deserve; sometimes, they simply get what they get. With this in mind, characters' IC decisions and actions will have influence on the ultimate outcome of in-game events. However, there will be no purely happy ending to Apocalypse How.

➥ What does "limited-run" mean?

The game is planned to run for 2.5 years with a completion in December 2023. The game has a definitive end-state with three broad arcs, and character actions will affect the ultimate outcome.

Applications

➥ How do I apply and when do applications open?

Applications are located HERE. Applications open on the 7th at 1:00 PM Pacific (4:00 PM Eastern/8:00 PM GMT/9:00 PM BST/timezone converter). Applications close on the 10th at 11:59 PM Pacific (11th at 2:59 AM Eastern/6:59 AM GMT/7:59 AM BST/timezone converter). Acceptances will be sent out no later than the 12th, in bulk. Prospective players may be offered the opportunity to submit revisions if an application is not initially accepted, depending on availability of character slots.

Apocalypse How is not a first-come, first-served app system. Mods will consider all applications submitted within the identified time frame, regardless of where they fall in the order. If there are more applications than the current character cap, mods will first consider reserved applicants, then review unreserved applicants. Apps will be judged based on character suitability, alignment between the characteristics presented in the application and the writing samples, and whatever criteria seem appropriate if these are not enough to cull applications.

➥ Are there reserves and what is the policy for reserves?

Reserves are located HERE. Reserves open on the 5th at 1:00 PM Pacific (4:00 PM Eastern/8:00 PM GMT/9:00 PM BST/timezone converter). Reserves expire on the 9th at 11:59 PM Pacific (10th at 2:59 AM Eastern/6:59 AM GMT/7:59 AM BST/timezone converter). Reserving a character is not a guarantee of entry to the game if the mods determine that the character is unsuited to the game, the stated personality does not align with provided writing samples, the application fails to provide all the necessary information for review, and/or some other non-standard reason not specifically stated here.

➥ Are challenge applications allowed?

Yes, but please be advised that if you are submitting an app for a character that someone else has already reserved, we will consider their application first, and your challenge application will be rejected if they meet all the acceptance criteria.

➥ Is there a player age limit?

All players must be 18-years-old or older.

➥ Is there a character age-limit?

There is no character age-limit. We would ask that players bear in mind the nature of the setting. Apocalypse How is a game set in the modern era. Characters who appear to be significantly under the age of 18 will be treated as children by NPCs in the setting outside of ADI. There will never be metaplot limitations for younger characters, but they may face more challenges in their day-to-day lives in the game. (Truant officer exist for you delinquents.)

➥ What characters can be apped into the game?

Players may apply to play canon characters, canon AUs, malleable protagonists, and original characters, including tabletop characters.

Not Allowed: Apocalypse How does not allow CRAU,* fandom OCs, fandom AUs, or silent protagonists.
*CRAU - A character with memories from participation in another DWRP game

➥ What are the game, cast, and character caps?

The game is capped at 50 characters total. Casts are capped at 5 characters. A player may have up to 2 characters in-game as long as the characters are not from the same canon. Each player may only app 1 character per application round.

➥ Do mod characters count toward the character cap in the game?

No. In order to give non-mod players the best chance of getting into the game, mod characters will not count toward the 50-character cap. Mods will be limited to 2 characters, as with other players, and mod characters will not be considered for special plot roles unless they are proposing a specific plot for their character, as a player (i.e., a Player Plot).

➥ Do you allow character duplicates? If so, under what circumstances?

Duplicates are allowed when it is a canon AU situation (e.g. Spock Prime and Spock of the Mirror Universe from Star Trek) or if the character is from a completely different source material/media/canon (e.g. Tony Stark from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Tony Stark from the Marvel Comics). Given the capped nature of this game, the mods reserve the right to re-evaluate and close applications for duplicates if we feel the game is weighing too heavily toward one group of related canons/franchises.

➥ How do you decide what's a separate canon and what's not for the purpose of character caps?

Typically, reboots and remakes that are not explicitly sequels or alternate timelines within the original canon will qualify as separate, while spinoffs will be considered the same canon (for example, the 1978 and 2004 versions of Battlestar Galactica would be considered separate, while the show Angel would be considered part of the same canon as Buffy the Vampire Slayer). However, the mod team recognizes that in certain cases the question is more complicated and that strict application of a single character cap across linked canons might be unfair. In those cases the mod team will make a case-by-case ruling upon request.

Specifically in the case of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the mod team recognizes that following recent movie events, the MCU has come to encompass what had previously been multiple standalone Marvel canons. The MCU movies, their direct spinoffs, and media confirmed to take place in the MCU's main universe will continue to count as a single canon for the purpose of character caps. However, Marvel media that had previously been established as standalone canons and recently folded into the MCU will be considered on a case by case basis to determine whether they qualify for separate cast caps.

Given the capped nature of this game, the mods reserve the right to re-evaluate and close applications for Marvel (or other) sub-canons at a future date if we feel the game is weighing too heavily toward one group of related canons/franchises.

➥ Will characters be required to be humanized? / Can characters be humanized?

No, characters will not and cannot be humanized. No physiological changes will occur to characters coming into the game. The only exception to this is that characters too large for the setting will be shrunk to human proportions. "Too large" is defined here as taller than 9 feet from head to foot; such characters will be physically compressed to that height by the process of interdimensional travel and will find themselves in significant pain on arrival, possibly with some of their bones broken.

There is an IC mechanic that will disguise any non-human characters when they are not in ADI Headquarters (this includes ADI-provided housing and Bonnie's Flophouse). This will be a purely visual/mental effect. Non-human characters will still retain their forms, but appear to be human. The illusion will function convincingly regardless of the character's shape or size, with other characters unconsciously adjusting to a truth they cannot see. These guises may cause a vague, general unease among non-ADI NPCs that grows more acute when the illusion is stretched to its limits by carelessly inhuman body language. An NPC working for ADI will automatically provide this service upon arrival, whether characters want it or not. ADI is invested in the government NOT finding out that a bunch of people from other realities have been dropping into their office building.

➥ How long must we wait to app a character from a new canon?

Canon content must be available for at least two weeks before characters can be apped from it.

Gameplay and Mechanics

➥ What are the game communities?

apocalypsehowcomm - Log/Network Community
apocalypsehowooc - OOC Community
redstringtheories - Meme Community

➥ What is the format for dreamwidth navigation tags for the game?

!mod - Denotes a post created by a moderator
!event - Denotes a mod-run event
!playerplot - Denotes a player-run event
!oocinfo - Denotes OOC information for an event or for any occurrences that might affect characters in the game
*ac - Denotes an activity check reminder
[character name]: [character canon] - Denotes an active character in the game
zz_[character name]: [character canon] - Denotes a character that has dropped from the game

➥ Are any of the communities locked?

No. However, players may lock posts to the community if they so desire and are required to lock posts that contain NSFW content.

➥ What is the policy on content/trigger warnings?

Please use post top-levels and subject lines to warn for any potentially sensitive content. We have a list of common content warnings located HERE for reference, but if you're not sure, please err on the side of caution: warn for it.

➥ Are there any subjects/plots that are not allowed in the game?

Rape, sexual violence, and underage sex are not allowed under any circumstances. If this is a component of a character's backstory, that is fine, and characters may discuss it in that context if all players agree to it OOCly. However, playing out these acts is grounds for immediate removal from the game.

Pregnancy is not allowed in the game. Characters will continue to experience a normal cycle. Luck of the draw, they just won't get pregnant.

➥ Is NSFW content allowed on the main comms?

Yes. NSFW content may be played out on the comms; however, we ask that such content be community-locked and have the appropriate warnings displayed on the log.

➥ What should I do if I want to provide feedback to the moderators outside scheduled feedback posts?

Please provide any feedback outside scheduled posts HERE. All comments are screened. Please allow at least 48 hours for a response.

➥ What should I do if I have a conflict with another player or a specific moderator?

If you have a conflict with another player, please use the Feedback page or PM the mod account (apocalypsehowmods). If you have an issue with a specific mod, you may PM, PP, or DM one of the other mods with your concerns. You can find individual mod contact information on the Feedback page. Please allow at least 48 hours for a response.

➥ What is the policy on 4th Walling?

4th Walling is your character recognizing that another character is fictional from their world.

Please use discretion when 4th Walling. If your character's canon does not directly state that that character has knowledge of another canon, it's best to err on the side of caution. Please check with the other player before 4th Walling, regardless. If there is no information, please assume 4th Walling is not allowed until discussed with the player.

➥ What is threadjacking and what is the policy on this?

Threadjacking is having your character enter into a network conversation or log scene where two or more other characters are having an ongoing interaction. There is no game-wide policy on threadjacking. Please check with the other player before threadjacking. If there is no information, please assume threadjacking is not allowed until discussed with the player.

➥ Is the Test Drive Meme game canon?

Yes. Events and CR established in Test Drive Meme prompts and player threads can carry over as game canon for all accepted characters.

➥ Are canon updates possible?

A character returning home and coming back with new canon content is not possible. However, your character can receive new canon memories by going to the Visionary. The Visionary is an NPC who lives in Bonnie's Flophouse. In exchange for one good memory from your character, they can provide a vision of a potential future for your character. This will serve as the canon update function for the game, and these interactions can be handwaved. Please see THIS PAGE if you wish to canon update your character.

➥ Are character deaths permanent?

Yes. You get one life in this universe. If your character dies, that particular version of the character with their in-game experiences is permanently dead. If you wish to play that character again (with a fresh start from canon), you will need to wait for three months before reapplying with that character. The character will not be held in reserve for you during this time and will be available for other players to pick up. The only semi-exception to this is near-death experiences for characters who are becoming avatars. An Entity may save a character from the brink of death when they are becoming an avatar. This can only happen once and should be submitted as a player plot.

➥ How do I drop a character and what ICly happens to characters that are dropped?

Please post HERE to drop a character. ICly, the character will simply vanish or you may choose to have them leave the influence of ADI/the game and make a life for themselves in the world they've entered into. As of July 2023 a third option is available for Characters to leave Gloucester's ADI to join with a separate (strictly no powers allowed) section of ADI in Wolf Pen or strike out on their own. ADI personnel will tell characters that they have found evidence that at least some previous visitors from other realities have been killed (or worse) by the monsters out in this world.

As of June 2023, Character's smartphones no longer have access to a network run by ADI. For the first day or so, there will be no group network access, but very quickly after they will receive a text with an 'invitation' to join the network. Anyone who clicks the invitation will find their phone redirected to automatically download a new app from a shady-looking URL that ends in the phrase "its-ya-boy-pyre." Upon being opened, the app is clearly a private chat program for characters.

➥ Can I re-app a character I had previously dropped?

Yes, provided your character had not been killed at the time of being dropped. If your character is dropped, you may not re-app until 1 application round has passed. The character will not be held in reserve for you during this period. Please indicate that the character is a re-app in your application. Characters being re-apped will enter the game with the impression that no time has passed. They will not have returned home. It will just be a blink and suddenly it's three months later situation.

➥ What is the Dogtown Search mechanic?

To facilitate players who may want a more direct chance to assist in investigations outside of events, Apocalypse How has the Dogtown Search mechanic. This is a grid search that allows PCs to discover new pieces of Dogtown on a map and solve puzzles or experience horrors related to various Entities within the park. Players are not required to engage in this mechanic, but anyone who would like to can do so. You can visit the page itself for more details on this optional mechanic.

Activity Check

➥ How does Activity Check work?

Apocalypse How has a permanent AC Page that you can update at any point during the month. AC closes on the 5th at 11:59 PM Pacific (6th at 2:59 AM Eastern/6:59 AM GMT/7:59 AM BST/timezone converter). You must provide two proofs, which can be a combination of the following or two of the same type of proof:
- 10 comments from your character (log and/or network);
- An open top-level on an event or log/network post.

Comments must be dated in the month of AC (March for March AC). It does not matter when the thread was started, but only comments posted during the relevant AC month will count. The mods will use Pacific Time as the time zone for determining what month a comment was posted in.

For the first AC round following a new character's acceptance into the game, players will only need to submit a check-in comment for that character with no activity proofs required.

➥ Is there a strike policy for Activity Check?

If you're unable to make AC, you may take a strike. You are allowed 1 strike per 4 month period. Strikes and hiatuses may not be taken consecutively. If there are extenuating circumstances that arise, please contact the mods HERE, and we'll discuss any accommodations you might need given the situation.

➥ What happens if I'm unable to meet the Activity Check?

Characters who do not meet AC requirements (and have a strike) as noted above will be swept from the game at the end of the Activity Check period. If your character is swept for AC, you may not re-app until two application rounds have passed. The character will not be held in reserve for you during this period.

➥ How do I go on hiatus? How long can a hiatus last?

Please post HERE to hiatus with a character. Hiatuses may be posted for 1 month. Players may take 1 hiatus per 4-month period; strikes and hiatuses may not be taken consecutively. Players who take a hiatus but are unexpectedly able to make AC for the month of the hiatus will not be penalized, and the cancelled hiatus will not count against the 4 month limit. Please contact the mods if you think you'll need a more extended hiatus.

➥ What ICly happens to characters that are on hiatus?

This is up to the player! The character will still be in the setting, just in the background.

➥ Do threads with NPCs played by mods count toward AC?

Yes, they do! Threads with NPCs follow the same AC rules as threads with other player characters.

Setting and Events

➥ What is the setting?

An alternate Gloucester, Massachusetts, USA, during the modern day. The in-game date will align with the real-world date. Please note that Apocalypse How takes liberties with landmarks and geography in Gloucester and the wider world. While the game setting generally aligns with the real-world, not everything will.

Gloucester is a somewhat isolated coastal city on Cape Ann with a modest population (30,000 people). It is surrounded by coastal rivers, wetlands, and forests. Events will occasionally see characters temporarily moving to other parts of the United States and potentially other countries. You can review the main setting locations and important NPCs HERE. Characters will be housed at ADI HQ or Bonnie's Flophouse, depending on their personal preference.

The game also takes place in an alternate version of The Magnus Archives universe. No knowledge of the show is required to play. The concept of the Fears/Entities/Dread Powers, avatars, apocalypse rituals, and the general tone of the show (inescapable, creeping horror) will be integral. An overview of those setting elements can be found HERE.

➥ What is the time scale for this game?

1:1. The date in-game aligns with the date out-of-game.

➥ What kinds of events will occur?

Mod-run events will be themed around horrific happenings that either directly impact characters or that they will be asked to investigate/assist with solving. There will be a mixture of psychological, body, and setting horror. Some events will be avoidable for PCs, others will not; however, specific, individual prompts within events will always have an opt-out.

There will be three general levels of mod/NPC interactivity for events:

• Lite - Events featuring temporary changes in the setting/environment/status quo. There will be an NPC-provided resolution to the situation if PCs do not act within a set period of time.
  
  
• Intermediate - Events featuring the introduction of named NPCs or a notable change in the status quo driven by NPCs (potentially in response to something PCs have done). There will be no NPC-provided resolution to the situation and PCs will need to act to solve a problem to prevent an ongoing effect or change.
  
  
• Heavy - Events featuring a cataclysmic shift in the status quo. There will be no NPC-provided resolution to the situation and PCs will need to act. These events will fundamentally alter the status quo of the game, regardless of the resolution provided.

➥ How often do mod-run events occur?

Mod events will occur every one-to-two months depending on the metaplot needs and proposed player plots. The game will be staged in three arcs. The first arc will be the longest and have the most space for player plot activity.

➥ Can I propose a player-run plot? How do I do that?

Of course! Player plots are plots that involve one of the following:
- Actions that would negatively affect 4-or-more PCs;
- Death of a PC;
- Death of a named NPC;
- Death of more than 1 unnamed NPC at the same time;
- Significant property damage;
- A PC gaining powers as a result of aligning with a patron Entity;
- Anything that could potentially expose the supernatural to the wider world. To clarify, a character using their abilities in front of one or a small group of NPCs is fine. It would be a concerted effort to expose the supernatural to more than a few people who can be brushed off that would constitute a player plot.

Beyond that, players may engage in any non-destructive personal plots that they would like! If you're not sure about something, please just drop us a line on the Feedback page.

➥ Can I invent small supernatural encounters and missions without mod approval?

Yes! Players are welcome to make up small supernatural encounters and fetch/delivery quests assigned by ADI. Cursed objects and strange happenings pop up fairly frequently in Gloucester and the surrounding areas, with the highest number of odd occurrences happening in or near Dogtown. An example of the type of basic mission ADI might assign to one or more character can be found in the Sticky Wicket prompt within the For Sport event post. Small supernatural events and missions contained to a single thread can be invented and run without mod approval; please refer to Player Plots, above, for information on what constitutes a larger plot that would require mod approval.

Arrival and Survival

➥ How do characters arrive?

Characters will arrive suddenly on the ground or upper floors of ADI Headquarters. They will find themselves temporarily weakened and disoriented, without access to superhuman abilities or skills. Only the things immediately upon their person/what they were holding will be present with them, and they may find that some items have simply vanished. Further details about arrivals can be found HERE.

➥ What language is being spoken and how do characters understand one another?

English is the language being spoken. Part of the arrival process for characters is that they are exposed to a torn page from a book that will grant them complete English fluency. This includes American Sign Language for characters with sight and Braille for those without it. They will still be able to speak their native language, but they will instinctively tend toward English.

➥ Can characters leave?

After the processes associated with arrival at ADI are completed, there is nothing forcing characters to remain at ADI, or even to remain in Gloucester. However, ADI staff will be quick to inform them that once someone has been touched by the supernatural (by, say, falling through a portal between worlds), their chances of getting noticed and eaten by a horrific monster of one variety or another are pretty high. Best to stay put; there's safety in numbers. As for leaving this dimension and going home, no. Characters are stuck in this world in which they've landed.

Please note that as there is no game mechanic to force characters to engage with the story, players are asked to choose characters who are likely to stick around voluntarily, regardless of whether they are driven by a desire to help or a fear of what awaits them out in the larger world.

➥ What happens if my character ignores ADI's warnings about staying around Gloucester and sticking together for safety?

Characters who stray too far from the safety of ADI's greater numbers or spend too much time integrating into the local population may find themselves attacked or stalked by supernatural beings, but there will be even worse consequences for those not in the know that they've interacted with. Those people you met at a club and hung out with all night? You might see a newspaper article a few days later about them going missing or being found dead under strange circumstances. The people of ADI are not lying when they say that the Fear-touched tend to draw the attention of other Fear-touched things, and the potential harm only spreads outwards from there.

➥ What kind of legal documents will my character receive?

Characters are provided with a basic State ID when they are being processed for arrival, whether they are staying with ADI or not. It's not the sort of thing that would let you drive, but is a valid ID for purchasing alcohol and the like. A fake license would involve significantly more paperwork and trust from ADI. Ages/information will reflect what is realistic based on a character's appearance, rather than what may be true. Even those with clearly-foreign accents will be issued State IDs for Massachusetts with their residence in Gloucester. Congrats you're somehow Americans! Sort of...

➥ Can my character obtain a real license and permission to drive ADI vehicles?

Characters will be required to prove that they are 'trustworthy' for this privilege. If they do not cause any significant trouble over the course of 3 months, they will be eligible to take in-house driver's ed so that ADI can make TRIPLE SURE they know what they're doing behind the wheel of a vehicle, and obtain a full driver's license and access to a company car at 4 months. If characters have a little more trouble behaving, it might take longer to receive these privileges, and they can be taken away as punishment.

➥ Are there game-issued network devices? How do they work? How does my character get online, in general?

Characters are provided with a smartphone during basic orientation. Depending on the department they join, they may also be issued a company laptop. Additionally, computers are abundant at ADI HQ, and characters working with ADI would be free to log into them to access the internet and whatnot. All characters are required to take a mandatory cyber security course during their first week at ADI, whether they stick with the group or not. Those who try to avoid the course will be tracked down and brought in for it. Players can assume that their characters will be given an in-depth tutorial on how to use a smartphone, how to set up accounts and passwords, access the internet, and what they need to do to keep themselves safe online and with technology in the modern world.

➥ Can my character have more than one account on the ADI network? Can they post anonymously?

Yes! The app prompts characters to set up their usernames and credentials, but there's nothing in place to stop someone from changing any of it or making multiple accounts after that first instance. Characters are welcome to post under each other's usernames/credentials if the players OOCly agree to it and the characters ICly obtain the information to do that. It's also possible for a particularly skilled hacker to get in and cause some mischief. If your characters is going to cause problems on that front for more than just a one-off thread/interaction, we'd just ask that you reach out to us on the Player Plots page.

➥ Are messages on the network truly private? For now, at least, this chat program is private to player characters only, with ADI higher-ups unaware of its existence.

Yes. Possibly. Cole probably isn't snooping...maybe.

➥ What/how many items can my character bring with them into the game?

Characters will have whatever items were on their person when brought into the game, excluding technology beyond the modern era. If your character is a walking arsenal, please limit their weaponry to a maximum of three weapons. Magical objects brought with a character will become cursed upon arrival, following the same rules as character powers: in order to function, magical objects inflict fear and suffering in some manner. In addition, there should be a negative impact for the person using the cursed item.

➥ Will my character's tech be with them?

Anything that could feasibly exist in the modern day may be brought with a character if it is on their person when they arrive in the game. Anything more futuristic will not accompany them unless it is a device that actively sustains a character's life.

➥ Will my character's teeth be with them?

Usually! Most characters will arrive with all their teeth in their usual places. An unlucky few may leave some of their teeth behind.

➥ Can my character bring their pet with them?

Yes, if that character is likely to have their pet with them when they're pulled from home. Additionally, pets may not be sentient/a character in their own right and have the same size and power restrictions as characters. Mythical/non-Earth-based pets will also have the same illusion effect upon them as characters when outside ADI Headquarters. Congrats, Aang! Appa is now a bison that looks like a standard, Earth-based bison to the wider world. Magical pets can, potentially, become aligned with one of the Entities. It's probably not going to be a great (IC) time for anyone.

➥ What if my character is dead/dying when they're brought from?

Dying characters will arrive... in the process of dying. ADI has access to advanced medical facilities and one individual with magical healing abilities. PCs will be stabilized as best as possible with standard, non-supernatural means, or healed fully by the magical medic if there are no other options. It is up to the player what lingering effects their brush with death might bring.

For characters who are dead in canon (i.e. ghosts), they will find that they will bind to the first object they interact with in-game or be bound to one of the objects they enter the game with. Damaging the object will result in damage to the character, and its destruction will result in the character's permanent death. In addition, ghost characters will be able to interact with the world around them and will not have access to any spectral abilities (e.g., walking through walls, if that's something they can do in canon) unless they're feeding a patron Entity.

➥ My character has a degenerative disease. Can that be healed? What will happen to them in-game?

There are two options available to characters here, depending on the type of disease. If their disease can be managed with modern-day medication, ADI will have access to it and provide it to the character. If there are PCs in-game who can develop a cure with modern day technology/drugs, there will be a way to cure it and that may happen in-game. If the disease cannot be managed or cured, the character could be drawn to a patron who will sustain them, instead. If it is a disease that is imminently fatal without treatment, characters have the option to enter the game with a patron Entity sustaining them. They can survive on just ambient terror associated with whatever patron has taken an interest in them by witnessing suffering or performing only minor, relatively harmless acts in service of the Entity, but it will be just that: surviving.

➥ Will my character's powers be nerfed?

All game-breaking abilities will be nerfed. These include things like travel through space and time without limits, the ability to destroy a city with some sort of power blast, omniscience, etc.

All other abilities will be available. However, in order to use their canon powers/abilities, characters will have to inflict horror and suffering on those around them. They will instinctively understand this requirement and feel a pull toward terrorizing people if they attempt to use their powers in any way. These instincts may be more or less powerful depending on the character. While they will never be fully mind-controlled/compelled to do horrible things, some may have trouble resisting their new instincts. Additionally, at player discretion, characters who try to just not use their powers may feel themselves becoming (physically or metaphysically) weaker, thinner, like if they don't do something, they might die or fade out of existence. Characters will be pulled to terrorize in a specific way based on the Entity granting them power. Choosing to stop terrorizing people will cause their powers to wane and may result in withdrawal symptoms.

Characters with powers/abilities will be asked to identify which patron Entity is fueling them during the app process. The nature of the terrorizing they want to inflict will be related to that Entity, specifically. You can read more about them, HERE.

➥ How do powers work if my character is two or more beings inhabiting one body?

Characters who consist of two or more inextricably bound beings sharing a body are allowed in the game as a single character, and may access powers (mostly) the same way other characters do. Characters that fit this criteria may only serve one Entity and will have a joint power pool available to them. If one being uses all of the terror up for abilities, the other being will not have any power left to use unless they terrorize people to fill the pool again. If a transformation of some kind is required to switch between the two beings, the player will app in with one being as the default and a switch will not occur unless and until that default being generates enough terror to induce the transformation.

➥ Can my character gain powers in game?

A character may gain powers fueled by a patron Entity, along with an instinctive need to inflict horror and suffering on others in order to fuel those powers, as an IC consequence of their actions. A character must be in play for a minimum of two full, consecutive months and in good AC standing (AC achieved consecutively for those two months) before they can gain powers, and must come into contact with the Entity they will serve (or one of its avatars) in some fashion.

Powers gained in game follow the same rules as canon powers (no game-breaking abilities) and must be thematically appropriate for the character's patron Entity. To request for your character to gain powers, please submit a player plot proposal outlining the Entity your character will serve, the powers they will gain, the choices that have led them down this path, and the intended first manifestation of those powers. If your character has not yet come into contact with their future patron Entity, your player plot should include (and may even revolve around) an encounter with a manifestation of that Entity. Upon moderator approval, you may put your player plot into action and have your character manifest their new powers either during your plot or in its aftermath.

➥ What is an Avatar or an Entity-aligned character, and what does that mean for my character?

For the sake of gameplay, a PC who has powers (with a few TMA canon exceptions) will enter the game as Entity-aligned. They are not an avatar. We are delineating those groups thus:

Entity-aligned - Your character has powers that are much weaker and more inconsistent than in canon. In some cases, they may not even work at all. In order to strengthen and stabilize your powers enough to use them, you must feed your Patron Entity with fear from other people, not just your own character. The feeding must happen before the power stabilization/access to powers. It's an upfront payment required to this Entity to grant you something. These characters will feel a greater or lesser pull to commit acts of terror in service of their patrons, but it's something they could, in theory, ignore. At player discretion, the instincts may be more powerful and there can even be negative consequences for not feeding your Patron.

Avatars - Your character has made the conscious decision to serve an Entity. It may not have seemed like much of a choice (maybe it was to serve the Entity and let them and their power save you or you will die), but it will have been a choice. These characters have access to their powers consistently (still at a non-game-breaking level). They will have them whether they feed their patron or not, but not feeding your patron has much more severe consequences on your body and mental health. You are now a main snack for these Entities, and you can either feed them other people's terrors, or they will feed directly on your character, which may result in physical deterioration or mental instability, such that you are more vulnerable to monstrous instincts that urge you to cause/feed on fear.

➥ How can my Entity-aligned character fuel their powers?

You can generally think of your character feeding their Entity in terms of charging a battery. Once they've 'charged' their powers they'll be able to use those powers as they please for a while, but the longer they go without causing fear the weaker their powers will become until they fail completely. There's no hard and fast rule for how long that takes; we just ask that players be reflective about the proportion of fear their characters have caused in relation to their use of their powers. Many small scares can add up, but it will take a long time to "charge up" if your character never causes any bigger scares. Characters will find they can jump-start their terror battery if they are using their powers to actively cause terror and/or horror.

Practical Examples - An Entity-aligned character with telekinesis wishes to lift a car to save the passengers from a flooded area. Because this is a non-terrifying use of their powers, the character will be unable to lift the car if they have not fed their Entity (flavor-wise, they may be able to rattle the car with their telekinesis, but the attempt to lift it will be unsuccessful). However, if they have previously fed their Entity enough fear to power such a feat, they will be able to lift the car even though it's a "nice" use of their powers.

Conversely, a character with telekinesis who wishes to lift a car in order to throw it and its terrified passengers into a river would be immediately able to do so (assuming that level of power is within their established limits). Actively malevolent use of powers charges those powers while they're being used, so that kind of terrorization serves as a jump-start for their "battery."

You can find some further feeding examples, HERE.

➥ Can people with Entity-fueled powers feed on each other? What if they have the same patron Entity?

Yes, people with Entity-fueled powers can feed on one another. It is not recursive, though. There will be one person feeding and one person being afraid. If the character is feeding off of someone with the same patron, they aren't going to get nearly as much fuel out of it compared to feeding off of someone with a different/no patron Entity. Think of it like the difference between eating plain, stale rice cakes versus a juicy cheeseburger.

➥ Can my character change patron Entities once they have chosen one?

It is possible to switch Entity alignment, but it will come at immense personal cost to the person doing it. They will be renouncing a tie to a supernatural being and that doesn't come easily or cleanly. To then tie themselves to another Entity would be sacrificing another part of their humanity. This sort of change would constitute a player plot and would need to be discussed with the mods to work out details.

Some examples of the level of personal sacrifice required to part from an Entity are included below (they are just examples and people should feel free to get creative). These personal sacrifices have to be made consciously by the character to 'count.' They could have someone else help them do it, but accidents won't sever a tie. Additionally, the personal sacrifice should tie directly or symbolically to the Entity a character is rejecting. Removing your eyes is rejecting the Eye, for example.

• Completely and irreparably removing one or more of your senses (e.g., removing your eyes, deafening your ears, removing your tongue).
  
• Completely removing one or more limbs (e.g., leg, hand, or arm).
  
• Completely removing a significant chunk of vitally important/formative memories.
  
• Destroying a precious object or relationship.

➥ What if my character is a vampire/werewolf/some other creature that has special dietary needs?

They will continue to have those special dietary needs and may find that those hunger pangs are even more acute in this reality. Giving into them, terrorizing their victims, is even more empowering, as well. ADI personnel will not provide for those with non-human diets. Bonnie, an NPC from off-world who runs a flophouse and very occasionally collaborates with ADI, will assist in finding somewhat immoral and unethical (but practical) ways of dealing with those needs. Need to eat human flesh? She can point you to a graveyard and give you a shovel. Need to drink blood? She knows where the Red Cross is running its next donation drive in town.

➥ My character has to eat/absorb a substance that is not available in this world to survive. What will happen to them?

The good news is that they will not die immediately. The bad news is that they will find themselves with the desire to inflict and/or witness horrific things tied to a particular Entity. They can survive on just ambient terror associated with whatever patron has taken an interest in them by merely witnessing suffering or performing only minor, relatively harmless acts in service of the Entity, but it will be just that: surviving. At player discretion, these characters may find themselves weaker and weaker with mounting compulsions. If they do give in, they will feel physically better, healthier, but that will only maintain if they keep up their new feeding regiment.

➥ Are all inhuman characters required to align with an Entity?

No. Inhuman characters who are able to survive on human food or other substances commonly available on present day Earth and whose physical capabilities do not extend beyond what the physical extremes of possibility for a human are, are not considered to be using powers simply by existing. They may, however, find themselves drawn to an Entity if they frighten people with their appearance or if their non-human characteristics give them non-human abilities (e.g., ink sac production and color-changing abilities for a squid person). These characters may find that those features have been twisted during the arrival process and turned to serve a patron.

➥ Does a magical prosthesis require terror to function?

This is dependent on the specifics of the prosthesis. Something that grants a character physical capabilities that are within the extremes of human capability will not be required to inflict any sort of terror on people because of their prosthesis. The ambient fear associated with NPCs who find anything supernatural inherently scary will be enough to sustain it. If the prosthesis conveys some non-human capability (e.g., flight), then the prosthesis will function as a cursed object (if the prosthesis is inherently magical), or the character will be asked to identify an appropriate patron Entity if they are actively providing the magic that enhances the prosthesis to a non-human level.

➥ Can my character only terrorize bad people to fuel their powers?

Yes, they can terrorize anyone to fuel their powers! Bear in mind that this will require characters to track specific people down and make a moral judgment about them with potentially limited information. There may be IC consequences, and it's a slippery slope. Characters who engage in any behavior that fuels their powers will find they feel a compulsion to keep doing it and do more of it.

➥ Can my character only terrorize animals to fuel their powers?

It depends on the Entity they serve. The Web is a bit cerebral for a dog, but the Hunt or the Slaughter may be possibilities. The fuel they will get from animals will likely be lower as their fears aren't typically as complex, but this would be a viable option. Again, there may be IC consequences for taking this sort of step. Characters who engage in any behavior that fuels their powers will find they feel a compulsion to keep doing it and do more of it.

➥ How often does my character have to terrorize people to maintain their powers at a normal level?

That depends on the nature of their powers. The more impressive the ability, the more terror it takes to fuel it. Soaking in ambient terror, for example, won't allow characters much access to their powers. We'll leave this to player discretion on the specifics. Please just try to be reasonable!

Life in Gloucester

➥ What is life like in Gloucester?

Gloucester is, at least on the surface, an ordinary small town. Its main industries are fishing, shipping, and tourism. All the typical modern-day amenities are available to characters, and characters will be paid a modest salary if they work for ADI.

Among Gloucester's tourist attractions are its unusually high number of haunted sites and odd happenings around the area. Ghost tours are popular and lucrative, and the town is a frequent destination for ghost-hunting video crews. There are also a lot of disappearances; though there always seem to be more people coming in to replace those who are gone, the locals are starting to question the status quo and become more suspicious of unexplained phenomena.

Crime isn't rampant; nor is it nonexistent. There are a few local gangs that engage in turf wars, particularly around the railroad tracks that cut through town and head north, but they're small fry compared to their big city counterparts. Belief in (and fear of) the supernatural is growing among the general populace, with locals increasingly likely to take supernatural threats seriously.

➥ How do NPCs feel about the PCs?

Feelings and opinions among the NPCs are mixed. ADI employees native to this world are often wary of anyone who displays what they consider supernatural abilities. Though, as of July 2023, that tension has lessened somewhat as long as those abilities are clearly being put to use towards ADI's goals. Other ADI employees are off-worlders more empathetic toward the PCs... and often more depressed if they came from a magic-filled world now lost to them. By and large, everyone who works at ADI is at least willing to work alongside off-worlders, whether or not those off-worlders have their full trust.

The wider NPC community of Gloucester is skeptical of the number of outsiders who have moved into their small town, and are increasingly on edge around any arrivals they suspect of having supernatural abilities. Reactions toward PCs will largely depend on how those PCs treat the people around them.

➥ Where will my character live?

ADI provides housing for anyone working with ADI and abiding by their rules. Apartments house up to three individuals, with private bedrooms and bathrooms, and shared common areas. Housing assignments tend to be random for new arrivals, but people can request to move in together at any time. ADI just wants to know who is living where. ADI housing comes with strict security and rules, and those not willing to abide by the rules will be removed.

Those who refuse the strict requirements of ADI's housing policies (or who choose not to work for ADI at all) will be directed to Bonnie's Flophouse, a pair of connected townhouses in one of the more rundown neighborhoods at the outskirts of Gloucester. Rooms are smaller but well-loved in their decor, and house two characters each; there is one communal space on the ground level and communal bathrooms on each floor. Rules here are much simpler and more lax, but characters who steal from the Flophouse can still find themselves out on the streets.

Because ADI offers housing as part of its compensation package, the salary received by its off-world staff is not sufficient to seek private housing without an additional source of funds. Additionally, as off-world characters lack documentation of their existence, private housing opportunities will be limited to places that take cash.

Additional information and documentation of housing assignments can be found on the Housing page, HERE.

➥ Does ADI have accommodations for characters with disabilities or specific, non-magical physical needs?

ADI has general accommodations for disabled characters. If it is a request that could be made under the Americans with Disabilities Act, they will have immediate access to accommodations. They will make whatever accommodations are feasible for other physical needs. E.g., a character who is a cat may have a cat flap installed in their apartment door, or a character who is exceptionally tall will be provided with an appropriately-sized bed. Bonnie will attempt to do her best to make accommodations for people living at her Flophouse, but the accommodations will be whatever she can manage with what they have available, rather than the more comprehensive accommodations ADI can provide.

➥ How does my character get food/amenities?

ADI provides food, hygiene supplies, and other basic amenities to characters living in their housing. Bonnie will do her best with food for those at the Flophouse, but she doesn't have a lot to go around, so mostly it's communal meals with never enough. There will always be free, watery coffee available in the communal area, though. Outside of what ADI and Bonnie can provide, characters can either receive a salary from ADI or can work odd jobs for Bonnie to earn money to pay for what they want and need. Because ADI offers housing and basic amenities as part of their compensation package, the salary they offer to off-world staff is reduced accordingly, regardless of whether or not characters choose to live in ADI apartments. ADI provides payment to their staff in the form of a prepaid debit card, while Bonnie and her associates provide payment in cash.

➥ Can my character get a job outside of ADI?

Part-time outside work would be possible, but difficult to maintain for an individual. The best route for characters to acquire odd-jobs and part-time work around town is through Bonnie. She has the connections with people and can get characters as much work as they could reasonably handle around other responsibilities. She can also hook characters up for more steady part-time work at the docks through Sable or at the Midnight Cinema with Lucky. These are the places where characters are the LEAST likely to cause a detriment to their coworkers by being around on the semi-regular, just because both Sable and Lucky are already entrenched in the supernatural goings-on around Gloucester. Sable more consciously than Lucky. Characters can find jobs and volunteer work in the outside world, but will quickly discover that bad things happen to the people they work with (or for).

➥ How does my character get additional clothes when they first arrive?

Characters who accept ADI's housing and employment will be provided with a modest clothing stipend to get them going. Provided they're not buying Gucci, it should be enough to get them a few different outfits to mix and match. For people not taking ADI's resources, Bonnie will have a box of various second-hand clothes that they can choose from.

➥ How does the network work?

On arrival, each character is issued a smartphone, though it will have no contacts or internal ADI-communication options, at least for the first day they're in game. After that, they will receive an app download link from an NPC named Cole that will allow them on a private chat program. Multiple logins may be created and anonymous posting is possible. The smartphones can also be used for calling and texting; those threads can be played out in private character inboxes. The default format of communication on the message board is text with the option to add images and links, but the board also has voice and video features similar to Discord. There is a directory that characters can use to contact anyone on the network.

➥ What is the day-to-day work at ADI like?

Characters who choose to work for ADI can expect to either take part in or support mission-based detective work. ADI's casework focuses on situations where something terrible or strange has happened, with the aim of discovering and fighting back against supernatural threats. Characters may take jobs in any of the following departments:

Administration: Office management, HR, finance, and general admin
Canteen: Folks who are charged with keeping people fed, whether at ADI or out on missions
Counseling: Because you're all going to need it
Equipment: Those who work to design, build, and manage specialty tools and gear
Facilities: This department includes building and systems maintenance, as well as janitorial staff
Investigations: Boots-on-the-ground detectives
Information Technology: While they're ostensibly responsible for internal IT systems, these folks are often called upon as hackers
Medical: Healthcare, emergency and otherwise
Public Relations: Those who deal with the public and keep the real supernatural occurrences out of the news
Research: Bookworms. Data miners. Nerds.
Security: Patrol, surveil, and be ready to throw down with any intruders
Staff Development: Trainers and teachers onsite to help staff learn new skills

Characters may work in up to two departments at any given time. There are enough NPC staff to operate any departments that lack sufficient PC staff. PCs will, in general, have NPC coworkers within their departments.

➥ What options are there if my character refuses to work at ADI HQ, but still wants to stay involved?

Bonnie has odd jobs she asks people to run all the time. They can be virtually anything from delivering something to fixing a car. She pays by the job and doesn't have much to offer around, but she'll do her best. She can also connect characters with ADI when there are missions that connect to the metaplot have a need for outside assistance that ADI might be otherwise reluctant to take.

➥ What happens if my character does something that reveals the supernatural as real?

If it's just talking, it's about a 50/50 chance whether regular NPCs will shrug it off and there will be few to no repercussions, or whether those NPCs will take the conversation seriously. NPCs who take the supernatural seriously are afraid of it; some will be morbidly curious while others may shut down the conversation or even refuse service to PCs at local businesses in response. Some NPCs will still shrug off minor reveals they can convince themselves they didn't really see or just imagined, but many will react with fear to even seemingly benign supernatural displays and actively avoid or chase off PCs who do so. More serious actions or attempts to prove the supernatural exist to non-ADI NPCs may result in ADI personnel jailing characters for a period of time or the police picking them up and then handing them off to ADI to deal with. This sort of reveal would constitute a player plot and should be run past the mods.

NPCs who are convinced of the supernatural and especially afraid of it tend to disappear or are found dead more often than those who shrug off the supernatural/don't take it as seriously. Discussing the supernatural in depth with NPCs can lead to those NPCs being harmed or killed by the Entities.

➥ What happens if my character embraces their patron Entity and starts plotting against ADI/tries to help with an apocalypse?

A bad time will be (ICly) had by all! This would constitute a player plot and should be run past the mods! We'll handle those kinds of things on a case-by-case basis.

➥ Can my character incapacitate/kill a major NPC?

They can certainly try! No NPC should be considered unkillable in this world. This kind of action would constitute a player plot and should be run past the mods!

↬ Main Navigation

Comments

[apocalypsehowmods]

There would be two options you could choose from for this type of character:

1. They will be in their normal human body and come in as an unpowered character.
2. They will be their video game self with powers and a patron, but will end up as a techno ghost, bound to an object and subject to danger/peril if that object is damaged.