Class

Winter's Edge is an ongoing campaign overseen by a group of Dungeon Masters for dynamic and varied play-groups made up of members of our playerbase from all over the world. As such, we try to keep the rules of play as accessible as we can for our players. Most of our core classes are found in the three Core Rulebooks from WotC, and in the System Reference Document. Sources for classes can be found by following the link in the menu.

Overview
Classes, are often refered to the character's professions. Though there are many titles with in each of the classes.

The current application restrictions are as follows. This information may also be found in the first room of Character Generation on the MUSH.

What we want:

 * All classes not listed below as closed are available for apps.


 * All races listed as available in theme racelist are open for apps, except as noted below.


 * What we most want is good- or neutral-aligned, heroic PCs. This is not a restriction on evil PCs, but they will be scrutinized more heavily.

- Mithril Rose (rangers, clerics, and rogue-scouts particularly) - Goldenglade (woodlands PCs) - Order of the Opened Hand (clerics, non-clerical acolytes)
 * Characters for the various thematic groups on Winter's Edge:


 * We need clerics of Evighet, Skadia, Frihet, Kukka, Elain, Skogen, Mod, and Kunnia.


 * PCs with motivations and goals beyond wealth and personal power; players who are self-starters and take the initiative to investigate matters.


 * Races most wanted: Dwarves, halflings, and Gnomes.

Special Apps:
The apps below, while technically open, will require a much higher standard of application. Please refer to news applications special.


 * Fire Elves

Closed Apps:
These applications are not being accepted at this time.


 * Monks


 * Pantheists (class has been removed pending thematic revision)


 * Shamans (pending class revisions)

What we don't want:
Anything on this list will be rejected outright with no exceptions.


 * World of Darkness-style concepts and angst-bunnies.


 * Verikotka characters


 * Worshippers of the Primordials (Korinthar, Talvi, Sslira).


 * Characters of extraplanar descent.


 * Monster PCs.


 * Characters who don't mesh well with the high-fantasy genre.


 * Characters who are not played how they're applied for.


 * Characters who don't get involved in story or plot.


 * Players who do not understand that ICA=ICC.


 * No active military in character backgrounds.

To get an idea of the class and race breakdowns, please consult +census on the MUSH.

What do I need to know before applying for a character on Winter's Edge?
Please read all the sections of this FAQ and the Application Restrictions FAQ linked at the top of this page. These are our minimum standards for applicants on Winter's Edge. In addition, there are help files in every room of character generation to help you along; type +cghelp in any of those rooms to get more information.

How long will it take for a character application to be approved?
An application will, unless something odd or untoward happens, be processed inside 48 hours. If it has not been 48 hours yet, we strongly recommend that you do not page staff about the app. You will be notified one way or the other. If this 48-hour time frame is suspended for any reason (such as holidays), it will be announced on BB1 and in the news section on this website.

If your app is rejected, you will be told why. Fix whatever it is that the staffer tells you is wrong on your app and you'll be approved. It's that easy.

If you are rejected and +apply again, your application is taken in the order it comes in. It will not be pushed to the head of the queue just because you've applied before.

If it has been less than 48 hours since your app went in, be patient. Repeated paging does not speed up the approval process. Please read the news files, policy, and bulletin boards before you ask for help. If you have a question, ask on the Questions channel or page a staffer. Keep in mind that staff may take time to respond.

How do I get approved the first time?
There are a number of things you can do and avoid, in order to make sure your app is good enough to go through the first time. If you adhere to these guidelines, you should find it easy to get in character quickly.


 * Ensure that all of your feats are usable by a second-level character (or a first-level character, in the case of ECL+1 races).


 * Do not take languages, skills, or other abilities that are not appropriate for your race, class or alignment. Even if the code allows you to do it, it will not be approved.


 * Check that your +sheet and your character background match. For example, don't describe your character as having been sickly all his life, and then assign a 16 Con to him.

What is expected in a character background?
In every PC background, certain questions and issues should be always be covered:


 * How did the PC come into his profession and skills?


 * What was his family life like? How does he get along with his family now?


 * Who were the people in his life outside his family who served as major influences (positive, or negative)?


 * What are his goals, desires, and aspirations?


 * What is his general approach to life, and his philosophy?

In addition, ensure that all of these points are fulfilled:


 * Write enough to give the DM who reads your app a good picture of who your character is, and not just a listing of some major events. We want to know who the person you're playing is.


 * Write a background that is long enough to make for interesting roleplay. A background that consists of one or two paragraphs will get rejected. A minimum guideline is 7 to 10 well-constructed paragraphs. Longer apps are encouraged. This is a text-based medium, after all, and roleplaying here is based on good communication.


 * Use the existing theme files for information on where your character may come from, what his race is like, what countries exist, and so forth. Do not invent new countries, or change the existing theme. Your app will be judged, in part, on how the character will integrate into Vintermor.


 * Ensure that your skills, stats, alignment, and languages are justified in your history. Explain how you learned them, and why. You will want to explain how your character came to be in his existing class, and what made him choose it. There are some languages that are only available to a limited number or group of people. If you take these languages, we expect to see full justification if you are not a member of the race or group, and even then, you may be asked to change it.

o Druidic: Druids only

o Halfling: Halflings

o Abyssal, Celestial, Infernal: Clerics, or scholars of appropriate alignment

If you have a good reason, we will need to see it first. Please fill in the slot with another language choice, in these cases, and then ask for the one you'd prefer in your app. It is far easier for us to change it than for you to go back through CG.


 * Follow all rules and policies.

What Are These Goals You Speak Of?
What are your characters goals in life?

When thinking of the goals you can go with dreams and desires that are attainable through rp, or way far out dreams that you might think are a pipe dream to your character. When your character has attained a goal, log it, edit it and send it in for xp (wintersedgelogs@gmail.com).

ex. An Elaidar Elf's first goal could be to obtain (somehow) one of the special compound bows.

ex. A Druid could have the goal of meeting their animal companion.

How do I come up with a character concept?
In other game systems, part of character generation is a short phrase that describes the type of character this is. If you want a quick handle on what your PC is, think of how you would describe him in five words or less. Some examples of 'concept' phrases:

power-hungry, vengeful wizard

merciful defender of innocents

mischievous but devout priest

repentant former pawn of evil

unwanted child

Once you have a concept in mind, it becomes much easier to see what fits, and what doesn't. Pick, and stick with, a single concept. Not everything has to mesh perfectly with the concept -- perhaps your fighter was a child of traveling performers, and picked up a skill rank or two in Tumbling just from constant immersion in it -- but if more than one or two things stick out, though, you should re-evaluate your character.

Some clichés you should avoid in making a character are listed below. We will not approve these concepts.

Brooding evil PCs, the entire focus of which seems to be how evil said PC is.

Cute-perky-little-halflings.

Orphans

Nobles, or children of nobles, legitimate or otherwise, even fleeing or hidden. This is a cheap way to get the benefits of a feature character without the hindrances. It won't be allowed.

Apps involving mentions of rape to your PC. We have a strict no-rape policy. More, the genre does not lend itself to the modern-rape-victim mentality in a PC.

What should I double-check before +applying?

 * Make sure all the proper code is set on your character before applying. The last room of character generation has a list of all the things that must be set. If you have a temporary @desc set with something like 'I'm working on it', your app will not be approved.


 * Be conscious of the formatting and style of your app. Use line breaks (%r%r) to break up paragraphs to make them easier to read, and don't put more than one screen's worth of information into a slot. (This comes out to 25 or so lines, maximum.) If possible, write your background in a word processor, and then copy it into the MU* client window a slot at a time.


 * Your app should be complete and in one place. Do not put more than three paragraphs, maximum, into a single slot. It will be kicked back for you to re-enter.

What is a 'special' or 'restricted' application? What does it require?
Some classes and races will, from time to time, be designated as 'Special,' meaning that they require more work to get. Please review all the news applications files, with the following additional requirements:


 * The app must run a minimum of 15 to 20 well-constructed paragraphs in length, with proper grammar and spelling. More is, of course, welcome.


 * A clean disciplinary record. This means you must never have violated MUSH policy in your time here.


 * You must have a clear concept of how your PC became this way. One sentence will not suffice. This portion of the app is the defining part, and as such, should be well-written and detailed.


 * For monks, Staff wants to see detail on your style of combat and your meditative/philosophical/spiritual nature.


 * For shamans, Staff wants to see details on the vision quest that led you to your totem.


 * For paladins, I want to see details on your holy Calling and what it meant to you.

You can find a list of restricted classes here in the FAQ, or on the MUSH In the second room of CG, by typing +restricted.

What will get my application rejected?
Here are the things that will cause an application to be rejected every time. Avoid these when applying on Winter's Edge.


 * Unapprovable concepts, as listed above.


 * Disregard for the policies and rules of Winter's Edge.


 * Disregard for the theme material used on Winter's Edge.


 * Applications that are too short, lack detail, or contain implausible events for a 2nd-level character to have endured. Verisimilitude is key, as is a legitimate reason for the person becoming who he is.


 * Applications with bad grammar and spelling.

What sort of character @names can be used?
Players should choose thematic names on Winter's Edge for their PCs. Names stolen from obvious sources (Lord of the Rings, R.A. Salvatore, etc.) will be denied.

We prefer single-word names, for simple reasons of MUSHcode support.

We like to see names that are reflective of the culture - using Scandinavian names, or Scandinavian-sounding names, for example, for native Vintermori. If you have questions about names for a new PC, please ask Themestaff if something fits.

Straight from the book to Theme Wiz's fingertips to this answer: Because many a character is inspired by someone in a fantasy story or a movie, it’s a natural impulse to borrow the name as well as the character concept. Avoid the temptation.

Stealing the name of a well-known fantasy character reduces your character to a mere clone of the original. Similarly, applying a familiar name to a wholly new character creates the different problem of raising false expectations in everyone who hears the name. (“No, I’m not that Conan.”) Acknowledge the inspiration, but make the concept your own—with a name to match.

What races are not permitted for PCs? What about classes that transform the PC?
From the beginning, Winter's Edge has said we will not allow Monster PCs. This includes classes with transformational aspects (Monk, Dragon Disciple, Elemental Savant, etc.) We do allow some of these classes, but with the Type changes removed. In other words, you, the PC, may take on the aspects of the type, but not the type itself.

PCs must be generated using one of the races available in character generation. If you have any questions about the application of a prestige class' abilities, +qmail Dmstaff.

Does Winter's Edge have a minimum age for players and characters?
This mush supports an age of consent. You must be 18 or have your parents' express permission to play on this MUSH.

Any scenes, public *OR* private, which violate US federal and state laws will be considered a red-flag violation and all people participating will be subject to immediate sitebanning, nuking and notification of the authorities as to your actions. Among our concerns are instances of child pornography. Even if both players are consenting adults, scenes of a sexual nature between IC characters under the age of consent will not be tolerated with the above stated actions taken as punishment of violation of this policy.

If you have a character under the age of consent and wish to adjust the age upward, it will be done at your request with no questions asked.

How many characters may I have?
At the current time we allow players to have 4 alts.