Before you dive into roleplaying on this site, be sure to read through this guide -- it's not simply a how-to for roleplaying in general, but rather a breakdown of how things work on Fighting Dreamers, what to expect, and what you can and cannot do. Even if you're a seasoned roleplayer, you'll need to read at least a few parts of this guide.

To make things easier, this guide is divided into various smaller sections:

1. Roleplay Rules
   
2. Topic Limits
   
3. Posting
   
4. Topic Types/Tags
   
5. Combat Threads
   
6. Private Topics
   
7. Healing
   
8. Death

No Godmoding, metagaming, or anything of that nature. This means that you should never:

• Force a hit or state that you hit an opponent with any move/technique. They will decide if they get hit.
  
• Evade every single attack if it's not reasonable for you to do so. It's not always fun to lose, but nor is it fun if your opponent magically avoids everything thrown at them. If it's not feasible for you to be able to avoid an attack, then don't.
  
• Outline the actions of another person. While it's allowed and expected for you to exploit another's actions if the thread allows for it, you can never control an opponent's actions. However, if the opponent fails to be specific, there is room for you to manipulate the situation to your advantage(so be careful about what kind of information you leave out).

Always establish and follow a clear posting order where possible. It's fine for the occasional shift in order if needed (such as a character is unconscious or somebody wants to put in a post before going on hiatus, etc.), but if it's not necessary, don't post out of the established order. In most cases, this is the order by which people entered the topic, but it can also be discussed beforehand and specified in the opening post.

You are given 72 hours (3 days) to post your reply to avoid holding up the other members.

Unless you give a prior warning / acceptable reason for not posting (usually in the form of a departure topic), failing to post within 72 hours will allow others to post ahead of you. In a combat situation, this allows your opponent to get an automatic hit, which could result in death if serious enough, so be sure to maintain communication and post as early as you're able.

With regards to combat, we encourage you to always tell the person you are fighting when you cannot post within the time limit. Most people are fine with waiting longer than the 72 hours, but your opponent may be pressed for time or already have a post prepared. With that in mind, focus always on telling the person you are fighting when you can’t post in time - do NOT just message an admin or moderator (via any platform) to tell them to pause the fight because of your circumstances. They are not sitting at their computers 24/7. Be responsible for your own predicament. If you cannot tell your opponent then contact an administrator or mod always through a formal message. Do not always assume a chat IM counts.

Here on Fighting Dreamers, there are no set limits on the amount of topics you can participate in. However, be mindful of the topic locations (see the Traveling guide below) and be aware that participating in too many threads for you to handle does not excuse you from the 72 hour rule, and if you post a notice for a long-term absence and are going to hold up a lot of threads, you will either be forcibly removed or others will be allowed to skip you regardless.

That said, some folks will have self-imposed topic limits based on how much they feel they're able to do, so be mindful/respectful of that when asking if they'd like to RP with you.

All IC posts should be written in third person. If a section of your thread contains a letter or journal entry, those are exempt from the rule (and in some cases, an entire post or thread might be comprised of letters or journals, but those should be exclusively solo threads).

Additionally, we would prefer if you strive to reach a minimum of roughly 250-300 words per post. It’s not a hard and fast rule and there are no consequences for writing very little, but the more substance your posts contain, the easier it is for your roleplay partner to respond! If that sounds like a lot, look at this dummy text consisting of 300 words:

Far far away, behind the word mountains, far from the countries Vokalia and Consonantia, there live the blind texts. Separated they live in Bookmarksgrove right at the coast of the Semantics, a large language ocean. A small river named Duden flows by their place and supplies it with the necessary regelialia. It is a paradisematic country, in which roasted parts of sentences fly into your mouth.

Even the all-powerful Pointing has no control about the blind texts it is an almost unorthographic life One day however a small line of blind text by the name of Lorem Ipsum decided to leave for the far World of Grammar. The Big Oxmox advised her not to do so, because there were thousands of bad Commas, wild Question Marks and devious Semikoli, but the Little Blind Text didn’t listen. She packed her seven versalia, put her initial into the belt and made herself on the way.

When she reached the first hills of the Italic Mountains, she had a last view back on the skyline of her hometown Bookmarksgrove, the headline of Alphabet Village and the subline of her own road, the Line Lane. Pityful a rethoric question ran over her cheek, then she continued her way. On her way she met a copy. The copy warned the Little Blind Text, that where it came from it would have been rewritten a thousand times and everything that was left from its origin would be the word "and" and the Little Blind Text should turn around and return to its own, safe country. But nothing the copy said could convince her and so it didn’t take long until a few insidious Copy Writers ambushed her, made her drunk with Longe and Parole and dragged her into their agency, where they abused her for their...

In combat threads, where there is little room or opportunity for extra words, you’re encouraged to be as clear and concise as possible, so that might mean you only get one paragraph typed before you run out of things to say. However, keep in mind that any actions and techniques, etc, in a post should be clearly and thoroughly described to ensure that they are understood by the opponent. If you feel your opponent isn't explaining themselves well enough and you're confused about what they're doing, be sure to ask them to clarify (and if they refuse, contact staff to resolve the situation). Any relevant technique information should be posted (preferably under a spoiler tag) at the end of a combat post to supply any missing information/details your opponent may need to get a better picture of what’s happening.

When creating a thread, it is encouraged (not required) to use topic tags in the description via [BRACKETS] and/or via #hashtags. This will let others know what to expect when entering the thread. Multiple tags can be used depending on the circumstances. On Fighting Dreamers, role-play topics can be divided into the following types:

• Social
  
• Plot
  
• Spar
  
• Combat
  
• Recovery
  
• Mission
  
• Training
  
• Profession
  
• Event

Social - Threads in which the main objective is for characters to socialize. Note that combat can be introduced in a topic intended to be social by another player unless [NO COMBAT] is specified (the [NO COMBAT] tag MUST be present in a thread in which a character without an approved arsenal is present).

Plot - Threads that are created with the purpose of progressing a character's story/plot arc. They can be primarily social or have a heavy emphasis on combat, but these are always geared toward a certain point in the character's timeline. That said, these are heavily steered by the topic creator, but if others enter the thread they can change the outcome or the means by which the OP's character reaches the end goal. This tag is typically used in conjunction with another (e.g. [SOCIAL - PLOT], or [COMBAT - PLOT]), but can be used alone.

Spar - As the name implies, there are threads in which characters have a friendly sparring match. When this tag is used, techniques that are extremely likely to kill or maim the opponent should not be used without the other player's consent. However, just because it's marked as a spar does not mean that your character cannot die unless the [NO DEATH] tag is used. If a technique that is strong enough to kill on impact hits its mark, the target will die if they have no way of preventing it. Maiming can also be prevented if [NO DEATH/NO MAIMING] is present. That said, using those techniques in a spar is typically frowned upon and will likely result in both OOC and IC repercussions.

Combat - Unlike spars, topics with the [COMBAT] tag are no-holds-barred threads in which death is likely a very real possibility depending on who is involved. If all parties involved are of the same affiliation and within a safe zone, the [NO DEATH] tag can be used.

Recovery - This is a thread in which a character is recovering from an injury. Though not mandatory, it’s recommended to keep these within a hospital as your character is in a weakened state and enemies could take advantage of that much more easily if the character is not in a monitored location.

Mission - As the name implies, these are mission topics. In order for it to qualify as a mission topic, you need to have your mission objective approved by staff in the appropriate section. Missions are jobs, and as such there will always be at least one objective that the character(s) will have to meet in the topic. There are all kinds of missions, not all requiring combat, so there is something for all kinds of role-players.

Training - As the name implies, there are threads dedicated to a character's training. Within these threads, as much of the word count as possible should be geared towards the training for it to count. The exact requirements of each training thread vary based on what is being trained (and will be specified for that specific thing). The method by which the training occurs is dependent on what is being trained but is also often up to the role-player's personal preference. While interrupting training is frowned upon, it can happen. On that same note, others can assist or participate in the training as well.

Profession - These threads have objectives related to the character's profession. While these don't always have to be missions, these are likely the most common type of profession-centric threads. The main purpose of these threads is to gain IC credibility with regards to the profession.

Event - As the name implies, these are threads that are created for / in conjunction with an event. There can be global as well as local events. See the [url=]Events Guide[/url] for more information.

*[NO DEATH] - If this tag is used, anything that would have typically resulted in death simply results in a K.O. Can be extended to [NO DEATH/NO MAIMING] to prevent extreme injuries to any of the parties involved as well. You CANNOT have [NO MAIMING] as a standalone tag - it doesn't make sense to disallow maiming but allow death. Read the section about character death below for more details.

As previously mentioned, combat threads and posts are exempt from the word count minimum as long as there is fighting going on between two players. This is due to the nature of combat -- since you can only logically write out one or two actions that your character takes in the midst of a fight, it would make it tedious and pointless to add fluff to your post just to meet the minimum. More details were covered above so they won't be repeated here.

Keep in mind that if you're writing a solo threads, you should still adhere to the minimum word count guidelines, regardless of what type of thread it is.

In a combat post, your character should be taking some type of offensive or defensive action, whether direct or indirect depending on the situation. If you're countering an opponent at close range and then trying to perform two actions afterwards, you're probably stepping into godmod territory as the opponent HAS to have a chance to react to ALL of your actions as long as they aren't prevented from doing so by previously established restrictions. Even if you want to set up a course of action to prepare for your opponent's actions, it's best if you simply leave your post at your last action and then react once you know what your opponent is doing.

Important things to keep in mind for combat posts:

Do not use equipment, items, techniques, abilities, etc, that your character does not officially possess. Though this should be obvious, unless your character has something listed in their arsenal or on their application, don't use it. This also means that you can't use something new in an on-going thread - if it was approved after the thread began, your character does not officially have it for that thread. This also means you shouldn't role-play as though you have something while waiting for it to be approved.

While it is not necessary to include every single detail of your techniques at the end of your posts, you MUST, at the very least, include the name of the technique in an OOC note at the end and describe it effectively in your post. This is so that there is a record of the actions you're taking, and ties into the previous rule, as well as to keep track of your chakra expenditure(s). Additionally, failure to properly describe the technique's visual aspects is not grounds for an auto-hit. If your opponent doesn't have a clear picture of what their character should be seeing, they will be unable to react properly.

You cannot actively channel chakra for more than one technique at a time. To clarify, this refers to techniques that actively require the use of chakra. For example, you cannot use a fireball jutsu while manipulating a fire dragon. This also applies to armor techniques. If your armor jutsu requires an upkeep, you cannot maintain it while going on the offensive or using a different jutsu.

If a technique has an effect that lingers for a specified amount of time and doesn't require a constant chakra upkeep, you can use other techniques during the effect duration. Some examples of this are techniques that cause weather changes, but transformation techniques also apply as they usually don't require upkeeps.

Techniques that don't require active channeling but drain chakra from the user are also exceptions, but these are rare.

For jutsu that are extensions of other techniques, such as Hari Jizou (Underworld Guardian Spikes) and Ranji Shigumi no Jutsu (Wild Lion's Mane), the descriptions must specify that they are to be used in conjunction with each other in order for both to remain active.

Things such as water walking and tree climbing that have minimal chakra impact (1 CP upkeep) are exceptions to this rule, as are Dōjutsu upkeeps and Bijuu forms.

Cross-reference your reply and your opponent's post to be sure your reactions make sense. It doesn't hurt to read over your opponent's post a few times to make sure you understand it well, because if you make a mistake and miss something, your opponent isn't required to let you know so you can fix it. On that same note, getting upset with somebody for taking advantage of your oversight is just called being salty, and unless you have a logical reason as to why you should be allowed to make corrections (your opponent didn't describe things properly, for example), staff won't help you. So make sure you read and have things clarified if you're uncertain BEFORE these things happen.

In addition to tagging using the thread types, topics can be tagged as [PRIVATE] or [CLOSED], meaning that only those with permission from the person starting the thread are permitted to participate. Unless it's an event that has it specified in the rules, any threads NOT marked as private/closed is considered open, so be aware of this. You CAN use an [OPEN] tag if you'd like, but it's not necessary.

While we understand that people don't want others always inviting themselves into their personal plot topics, there are limits on where you can have private topics. When outside of your safe zone(s), you cannot tag your threads as private. At the same time, if you are in your safe zone but wish to roleplay with somebody that is outside their own safe zone, you cannot keep the thread private, either. For example, if you're a Kumo ninja RPing with a Nukenin, your thread cannot be marked [C/Closed] or [P/Private] because the nuke is outside of their safe zone. Designated safe zones are one's own village (or the designated safe areas for nukenin), but not the country (if you're attacked while in your own country, help is never far away).

When injured in combat, the severity of the wound determines the length and requirements of the healing process.

Minor injuries, such as cuts, scrapes, minor burns, or any other injuries that can heal without aid don’t require any special healing process. You can simply move onto your next RP topic without problems, as those injuries usually only take a few days to completely heal and aren’t typically felt beyond a day later. More serious injuries - ones that would require some form of medical attention, such as slightly more severe burns (something on the level of a sunburn) - take slightly longer to heal, but short of some dull pain, your next thread(s) can occur without further action.

When a wound requires medical attention, it takes longer to heal and the effects are more noticeable. Unless you’re absent from RP for a while and thus can assume that the healing process occurred (as long as the threads you participate in don’t happen within a week of the one where the injury happened in terms of your character’s timeline), it’s expected that the character not partake in any sort of strenuous activity until the injury has healed. You don’t need to write “healing threads”, but partaking in social threads with mention of the injuries, or specifying the injuries as a reason for not accepting a sparring challenge or mission is enough. While we won’t be policing this for more common injuries, there will be questions if your character broke several ribs and you’re starting a mission the next day - please try to be a bit realistic in this regard. This is especially true when the injuries require surgery - it’s not logical for your character to have a very deep wound and then the next day challenge somebody to a sparring match.

Under most (99%) circumstances, a ninja should not be regenerating body parts, recovering lost organs, or see any kind of healing from typically irreparable damage. The 1% in this situation would be very strictly policed techniques that only a select few characters would have access to - and even then, it’s a process that takes too much time to simply jump into another thread. It is possible to receive synthetic replacements to lost limbs, but that typically requires travelling to the appropriate location as this is done by specialists.

Lastly, and most obviously, you cannot be brought back from death.

In order for a topic to be allowed a no death/no maiming topic, two conditions must be met: first, the thread must be within a village or within a safe zone; second, all parties that are involved in the creation of a topic must agree to it. Once a thread is established as no death/no maiming, others that join in on the thread CANNOT change this. To clarify, if you and a friend decide that you want to have a combat thread together with no risk of death, the person that creates the thread would write down both usernames in an OOC note (preferably at the beginning of the post) to legitimize the no death clause. You cannot start an open thread by yourself without any plans and tag it as "no death" UNLESS you are within your own safe zone.

Unless you never leave your safe zone and always keep to yourself, there will always be varying levels of risk for your character. If you're truly opposed to having your character killed, then it's in your best interest to make some friends IC and avoid traveling alone as much as possible. Remember, there's strength in numbers. (Plus, if you have friends in whatever random village or settlement you're in and some random ninja kicks the shit outta you, your friends can come to your rescue.)

If your character dies, you will be permitted to transfer 50% of your available funds and 30% of your total accumulated ranking points to your new character to give you a boost. This must be done when creating your new character and cannot be transferred once you've started roleplaying with the new character, so make sure to do that as soon as possible. Do note that you're free to apply for limited slots for the new character before making it, but be aware that in the case of Bijuu, once a Jinchuuriki dies, the beast is released and must be re-captured IC before it can be sealed into a new host. So you would be unable to try for the same Bijuu again (but you're free to try for others as long as they're available).

On the topic of Bijuu, when a Jinchuuriki is killed, the beast is then released from the seal. Upon its release, the Bijuu will fight to either kill or incapacitate any nearby ninja before fleeing. If the beast wins the fight and flees, it can only be tracked down for capture via a staff-created event thread. This thread will occur a maximum of two three - if the participating ninja fail to subdue the beast during all three events, the Bijuu goes back to being locked as a new character-only option. However, those that apply for a ninja with an affiliation near the location that the beast was last fought will have a better chance of being approved.