FAQ
Setup & Rules | FAQ | Apply | Mod Contact | CalendarWelcome to the Bureau of Frequently Asked Questions! Here you can find an archive of answers to common misunderstandings or points of confusion within the Dreamscape. Please check out the list to see if your question is here before asking a new one, but if you don't see your answer, don't be shy about reaching out! We're here to help.
Are original characters, AU characters, or CRAU characters allowed? What about characters with unique headcanons implemented?
Yes!
Original characters are especially welcome and strongly encouraged. We love and appreciate OCs!
CRAU is also fine, we just ask that you give us some details in your application.
As far as AU versions of existing characters, these are generally fine, we just ask that you run it by the moderators first, but unless it's a real curve-ball it should be fine.
Characters with unique headcanons attached, such as:
- how you personally have decided to account for unanswered lore questions
- characters with gaps in their personal info that you've filled in (ex. you picked out a last name for a character in Stardew Valley, as they canonically have none that has ever been revealed)
- or characters with non-canon queer identities (ex. making your characters trans or use non-canon pronouns)
are all perfectly acceptable.
We want you to play your character as you see fit (within reason) and have no interest in restricting your freedom on this, provided it is not to the detriment of another player. So have fun!
How does the blacklist work?
"Blacklist" is a little bit of a misnomer in this situation, as it doesn't actually imply that the content therein is forbidden from being spoken about.
Our blacklist, which appears at the bottom of our
Rules & Setup page, is comprised of two sections.
Warned Content
Warned content is content that is sensitive, and therefore should be prefaced with a warning whenever possible. Items on the warned content list that are in bold are particularly sensitive due to being known triggers of at least one player. It is perfectly okay for these topics to appear in threads, but due to their sensitive nature, it is strongly encouraged (or in the case of bolded items, required) that you provide a content warning or use HTML coding to censor, so that the person reading has an idea of what they're about to get into.
Banned Content
Banned content consists of topics that may not be written out in tags under any circumstances. Your character may discuss these topics in the context of a memory or nightmare, along with appropriate content warnings, but you may not explicitly write out your character participating in such acts in the Dreamscape. For example, if your character is a victim of child abuse, they may discuss it or recall it occurring to them or have a nightmare referencing it, but you may not, under any circumstances, write your character abusing a child in a thread. This is not something we anticipate happening, but these rules are in place to prevent such situations from arising.We hope that gives you a better idea of what we're looking for! We believe most of this to be common courtesy, we just want it to be in writing for the sake of accountability and consistency.
If you're interested in using the code that I used above to censor sensitive content, here it is!
Thank you to
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
blue_ice for providing this code!
How does the feather system work?
The feather system is explained in greater detail in the
Wishing Center, but here's a quick rundown of the basics:
Any time your character makes one of the meaningful connections detailed in the Wishing Center, a feather autonomously appears in an accessible place on their person or among their personal belongings. What constitutes as a feather gained is based on the true, honest feelings of those characters, regardless of what they say. For example, if you call someone your friend, but do not mean it, they won't get their feather, exposing you for a liar. Whereas if you feel friendship towards them, even if you won't necessarily admit it, they do. If you have any questions about whether an interaction results in a feather gain or if you're not sure how many feathers you have, please reach out via the Wishing Center for help! You should also communicate with other players, too.
What are the rules surrounding Nimbus Clouds? How do they move? What are the limitations?
Your Nimbus Cloud is your own personal mini pocket dimension, which appears as a pink cloud from the outside. You know which one is yours when you see it, even though there are no differences between them, and it serves as your home. Inside, the only limit to how it looks is your imagination. Even physics does not apply! The only things you cannot manifest are personal items of sentimental value. However, you already have all the clothes you could ever want there.
Only you can control the inside of your own Nimbus, and you can also relocate the cloud itself at will, though sometimes the Outsider will move them for events.
If two characters want to live together, Nimbus Clouds can be fused into one! No approval needed.
Do characters get to keep their powers!
Yes! But with some limitations.
Since in dreams the idea is that your character should be able to appear as much "themselves" as possible, and we kind of strive for a wacky, anything-goes type vibe, we want characters to remain as much of their abilities as possible. Therefore, characters can keep any powers that do not otherwise break the rules of the Dreamscape.
For example, our first event featured a prompt where characters could fly and move stars around ONLY when holding hands with another character. This made it so that characters who could levitate or fly naturally could not do so, but only in that specific area. Additionally, reality-benders or dimension-jumpers would not be able to use those specific abilities in the Dreamscape at all, since the Dreamscape cannot be escaped except by waking in the real world, and the Outsider is in full control of reality everywhere except the Nimbus Cloud.
However, even with these rules, there is room for flexibility with the Roger Rabbit Rule. Which leads me to my next FAQ...
What is the Roger Rabbit Rule and what does it apply to?
The Roger Rabbit Rule is based on
a gag from 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit?' and states that the expected rules of the universe can be situationally relaxed, under the condition that doing so would be funny. Basically, you can override expectations for the bit occasionally.
This can apply to reality-benders, making it so that they briefly regain their abilities for the sake of doing something funny. This can allow overpowered abilities to "act up" in comical and harmless ways. This has even been known to allow animal companions to make unprompted appearances just to cause hijinks! But only when it's funny.
I leave it to you all to decide what constitutes a Roger Rabbit Rule moment, but if you have any questions about what crosses the line into power-modding, please feel free to reach out to a mod regarding specifics.
Do characters need to eat or sleep in the Dreamscape? Are they capable of sleeping?
Eating and sleeping are both possible and optional. You will never be hungry, nor will you ever be too full to eat, so eat if you feel like it! You don't need to sleep, but can if you want to, in order to kill time, rest your mind, or maintain a sense of normalcy and routine.
Additionally, if your character becomes injured or "dies," they can recover by sleeping for a proportional amount of time.
How do languages work? Is there a language barrier?
All characters can hear other characters speaking in their own language. A character who speaks multiple languages will hear whichever one makes the most sense, likely the one they're most fluent in or the one they expect to hear. If a character who is speaking English to a Greek character, for example, says something in Greek mid-sentence, the Greek character will hear it spoken in a different language altogether, most likely one that is familiar to them but they don't actually speak. For those familiar, it's the same language mechanic as Doctor Who.
How do Constellation Pendants and the DreamNet work?
Constellations are pendants that are given to all dreamers, and can look any way you want and match your character's personal style so long as it features a star-design. These magical pendants are capable of projecting a light from the star that creates a holographic screen, allowing characters access to the DreamNet.
DreamNet is an intranet feature for dreamers that allows them to connect, sending each other video, text messages, and voice calls. It's enough like a cell phone or computer that characters familiar with modern technology will be able to use it, with an intuitive enough design that characters from other time periods who have a basic understanding of magic will be able to figure it out. There's also a range of helpful accessibility features to make it even easier!
You can have your own IC inbox for your character on your journal or create other logs to host your DreamNet inbox. We will also occasionally have DreamNet mini-games and ice breakers present on the meme community alongside TDMs.
Can I create my own logs that are separate from events?
Of course! All members can post personal logs for non-event-specific RP, IC inboxes if you'd rather not have them on your journals, character-specific catch alls, or whatever else you like on the
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
perchancetodream_logs community. You can also create personal plotting posts on
perchancetodream_ooc if you like.
Can I make toplevel posts on TDMs with an existing character or only with a new one?
Existing characters can and should make toplevels on TDMs. New players may find themselves more comfortable tagging out than making toplevels, so this allows them to get to know existing cast members easily. Also, the TDM is for everyone, regardless of the name. We're here to have fun!
Can I handwave my character meeting the Outsider and getting the introduction talk?
Yep, you don't even need to ask, just go for it. I (mod Rose, who plays the Outsider) will assume that all characters have met and spoken to the Outsider unless otherwise stated. If your character just straight up skipped talking to the Outsider, just let me know!
We'll continue to periodically update the FAQ as we get more questions that are relevant to everyone or frequently requested info, so ask away! Hope this helped!
code bases by tricklet
