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neocephamods) wrote2026-03-21 08:39 pm
neocephamods) wrote2026-03-21 08:39 pm
FAQ
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
CONTENTS
JOINING THE GAME
How do I join?
Prospective players must be invited to Neocephalos by the mod or current players in order to reserve, app, and join the game.
All current players can invite one new person a month, and can apply for an additional one-use invitation through Privilege point rewards. The current player must indicate who they are inviting on that month's State of the Game post, and the invitee must state who has invited them in their app.
Is there a player cap? What are the character limitations?
At this time, there is no player cap. This may be subject to review as the game progresses, but any changes will come with ample warning.
Players may app two characters, with the ability to app a third character through the Privileges system.
There is a cast size limit of five characters per canon.
Who can I app?
The below characters are appable to Neocephalos:
Why is there an asterisk next to non-human characters?
Because there are some caveats!
If your character is not human but humanoid (human height range, similar body plan), then they can be apped. This includes elves, werewolves, vampires, and so on.
If your character is over 10 feet in height, they cannot be apped as is. You can choose to app them as smaller versions of themselves.
If your character is robotic, they can be apped if they have a humanoid body plan.
If your character can transform into another creature, this alternate creature has some more freedom around its shape. However, it must still be within 10 feet in height, and also be a temporary transformation and not a shape the character spends most of its time as. This transformation would be included as one of the character's power slots.
Why are there two asterisks next to malleable protagonists?
Malleable protagonists are allowed to be apped, but with some stipulations. As a malleable protagonist, you will have specific kinds of relationships with canon characters. However, this does not mean that your cast mates are beholden to sharing that reality, and are fully permitted to choose not to know your protagonist.
We would also urge you to be considerate of your cast mates and strive not to metagame or assume knowledge about their characters out of bounds of the general understandings a default version of the protagonist would have.
Why are there three asterisks next to original characters from canons? Do you hate them?
No!
However, how appable this will be in practice depends on the canon your original character is from. The canon should clearly offer an immersively large enough world to justify being able to make an OC from it. Good examples of this would be the Forgotten Realms from D&D lore, the Star Wars universe, Thedas of Dragon Age, and so on. Bad examples would be The Pitt, or Mission Impossible, or the Avengers franchise, because these kinds of medias rely mainly on characters before world building. At that point, you can just make an OC from an original world. Feel free to ask ahead of your app if your idea is suitable.
For original characters who can be apped from canon worlds, we ask you also not to have relationships or knowledge of canon characters unless it makes sense, such as if that canon character is canonically well known. Common sense stuff.
Prospective players must be invited to Neocephalos by the mod or current players in order to reserve, app, and join the game.
All current players can invite one new person a month, and can apply for an additional one-use invitation through Privilege point rewards. The current player must indicate who they are inviting on that month's State of the Game post, and the invitee must state who has invited them in their app.
Is there a player cap? What are the character limitations?
At this time, there is no player cap. This may be subject to review as the game progresses, but any changes will come with ample warning.
Players may app two characters, with the ability to app a third character through the Privileges system.
There is a cast size limit of five characters per canon.
Who can I app?
The below characters are appable to Neocephalos:
Canon charactersThe below characters are not appable to Neocephalos:
Original characters
Characters with CRAU
Non-human characters*
Malleable protagonists**
Original characters from canons***
Characters under the age of 18
Oversized characters more than 10 feet tall
Alternate or duplicate versions of currently apped characters
Why is there an asterisk next to non-human characters?
Because there are some caveats!
If your character is not human but humanoid (human height range, similar body plan), then they can be apped. This includes elves, werewolves, vampires, and so on.
If your character is over 10 feet in height, they cannot be apped as is. You can choose to app them as smaller versions of themselves.
If your character is robotic, they can be apped if they have a humanoid body plan.
If your character can transform into another creature, this alternate creature has some more freedom around its shape. However, it must still be within 10 feet in height, and also be a temporary transformation and not a shape the character spends most of its time as. This transformation would be included as one of the character's power slots.
Why are there two asterisks next to malleable protagonists?
Malleable protagonists are allowed to be apped, but with some stipulations. As a malleable protagonist, you will have specific kinds of relationships with canon characters. However, this does not mean that your cast mates are beholden to sharing that reality, and are fully permitted to choose not to know your protagonist.
We would also urge you to be considerate of your cast mates and strive not to metagame or assume knowledge about their characters out of bounds of the general understandings a default version of the protagonist would have.
Why are there three asterisks next to original characters from canons? Do you hate them?
No!
However, how appable this will be in practice depends on the canon your original character is from. The canon should clearly offer an immersively large enough world to justify being able to make an OC from it. Good examples of this would be the Forgotten Realms from D&D lore, the Star Wars universe, Thedas of Dragon Age, and so on. Bad examples would be The Pitt, or Mission Impossible, or the Avengers franchise, because these kinds of medias rely mainly on characters before world building. At that point, you can just make an OC from an original world. Feel free to ask ahead of your app if your idea is suitable.
For original characters who can be apped from canon worlds, we ask you also not to have relationships or knowledge of canon characters unless it makes sense, such as if that canon character is canonically well known. Common sense stuff.
POWERS AND ABILITIES
What about my character's powers/supernatural abilities?
When you app a character into Neocephalos, you will be asked to organise (or in some cases, simplify) your character's powerset into three features. Essentially, you are limited to three aspects of their abilities, but this may not be as limiting as it sounds. Each aspect is more of a category than a single power. For example, if you have a witch who is also a werewolf, one category may encompass all their werewolf features (heightened senses, ability to transform), and one category may encompass all their witch features (spells they know), leaving them with only two features to declare even though each one contains multiple discrete abilities.
However, if one of your power features is a little too expansive (such as, you define your witch aspect as having every spell under the sun and they are also immortal and also can turn into animals and also telepathic), then the mods may suggest splitting it up between features or nixing some elements if you have already used all three.
Can I nerf my superpowered character?
Yes! If that would be fun for you, your character can lose their powers upon waking up in Neocephalos. They could also find themselves human if they were not originally human, but only if this does not change their physical form to something new (meaning, if they were born as a tiefling, they will stay a tiefling, but if they were once a human made into a vampire, they could revert back to being human).
Are they are any powers that aren't permitted or need to be nerfed?
So glad you asked!
Currently, no powers are outright banned, but mods hold the right to change this policy at any time if apps present new challenges with steep game-breaking implications.
Powers that need nerfing are as follows:
When you app a character into Neocephalos, you will be asked to organise (or in some cases, simplify) your character's powerset into three features. Essentially, you are limited to three aspects of their abilities, but this may not be as limiting as it sounds. Each aspect is more of a category than a single power. For example, if you have a witch who is also a werewolf, one category may encompass all their werewolf features (heightened senses, ability to transform), and one category may encompass all their witch features (spells they know), leaving them with only two features to declare even though each one contains multiple discrete abilities.
However, if one of your power features is a little too expansive (such as, you define your witch aspect as having every spell under the sun and they are also immortal and also can turn into animals and also telepathic), then the mods may suggest splitting it up between features or nixing some elements if you have already used all three.
Can I nerf my superpowered character?
Yes! If that would be fun for you, your character can lose their powers upon waking up in Neocephalos. They could also find themselves human if they were not originally human, but only if this does not change their physical form to something new (meaning, if they were born as a tiefling, they will stay a tiefling, but if they were once a human made into a vampire, they could revert back to being human).
Are they are any powers that aren't permitted or need to be nerfed?
So glad you asked!
Currently, no powers are outright banned, but mods hold the right to change this policy at any time if apps present new challenges with steep game-breaking implications.
Powers that need nerfing are as follows:
Technomancy or any supernatural ability that can manipulate computer systems and machines. Characters can have this power and put it to good use, but will find that a lot of Neocephalos' deeper infrastructure is a blind spot to them.One available nerf method is that your character may find themselves physically overwhelmed when they try to activate certain upper tiers of their abilities, becoming dizzy and losing consciousness before they can manage it. Consider this an in-built circuit breaker that they did not have before.
City-destroying abilities in that the game is a city, so if your character is a walking WMD, they will find there are caps on this potential.
Invulnerability can work to an extent, but after a certain amount of extreme damage, it will cease to function and the character will become vulnerable. This is mainly to keep the environmental limitations intact as well as maintain balance between characters.
ACTIVITY & REWARDS
What is the game's pace like?
There will be a monthly plot post that can be used as a catch-all for all log activity (but people are welcome to make their own log posts too), and these plot posts will alternate plot heavy content and more light weight social prompts.
We want to be realistic and forgiving when it comes to balancing life commitments with our writing-intensive hobby. We also want to encourage a game that is lively and reactive. Individual engagement will be up to the player, but the game itself will strive to provide regular engagement opportunities.
What are the activity requirements?
There is a static activity post that players are asked to reply to once every month with a short summary of their characters' activity in the game and a status update as to their current Prestige level. Optionally, players can also tally their activity for Privilege points.
This is a check-in, and no threads are required as activity proof in order for characters to stay in the game.
Because there is no thread count based activity requirement, there is no strike system. Players must check-in or be swept from the game, unless they have notified the mods of a hiatus.
So we can we go on hiatus?
Players can apply for one month of hiatus at any point before midnight of the last day of that month, which exempts them from check-ins and maintains their characters Prestige level. Players cannot request consecutive hiatuses without mod discussion, but we are always happy to figure something out with players who remain communicative.
Is there any incentive for activity?
Yes!
Check out the Prestige & Privilege page for information around how participation is rewarded through in-game privileges and OOC rewards like extra invites or character slots. Conversely, Prestige as an in-game status condition is not activity based, but rewards longevity and setting engagement.
The goal is to give extra bonuses for those that would like them and encourage diverse CR, but not penalise players who have limited time to participate.
There will be a monthly plot post that can be used as a catch-all for all log activity (but people are welcome to make their own log posts too), and these plot posts will alternate plot heavy content and more light weight social prompts.
We want to be realistic and forgiving when it comes to balancing life commitments with our writing-intensive hobby. We also want to encourage a game that is lively and reactive. Individual engagement will be up to the player, but the game itself will strive to provide regular engagement opportunities.
What are the activity requirements?
There is a static activity post that players are asked to reply to once every month with a short summary of their characters' activity in the game and a status update as to their current Prestige level. Optionally, players can also tally their activity for Privilege points.
This is a check-in, and no threads are required as activity proof in order for characters to stay in the game.
Because there is no thread count based activity requirement, there is no strike system. Players must check-in or be swept from the game, unless they have notified the mods of a hiatus.
So we can we go on hiatus?
Players can apply for one month of hiatus at any point before midnight of the last day of that month, which exempts them from check-ins and maintains their characters Prestige level. Players cannot request consecutive hiatuses without mod discussion, but we are always happy to figure something out with players who remain communicative.
Is there any incentive for activity?
Yes!
Check out the Prestige & Privilege page for information around how participation is rewarded through in-game privileges and OOC rewards like extra invites or character slots. Conversely, Prestige as an in-game status condition is not activity based, but rewards longevity and setting engagement.
The goal is to give extra bonuses for those that would like them and encourage diverse CR, but not penalise players who have limited time to participate.
ARRIVAL IN GAME
How does my character arrive?
The exact circumstances of arrival, in terms of how and why they are brought to Neocephalos, are opaque to characters. What you as a player need to know is that your character is drawn suddenly from their canon point and immediately wakes up in a new world.
Besides the first event, there aren't regular arrival logs. Players are free to manage their own arrival into the game.
Please view the arrival page for more detailed information on what your character experiences on arrival.
Does my character bring anything with them when they arrive?
Nope.
In the case of aids such as glasses, walking sticks, wheelchairs, and so on, these or equivalents can be obtained in game more or less immediately. If something needs more elaborate translation, like Tony Stark's arc reactor, feel free to assume a substitute has been made for them, or check in with the mods to brainstorm.
Can my character's pet come along?
At this time, the answer is no. But there may be functionality to bring them into the game in the future!
My character is injured or maimed at the time of their canon point. Will they still be when they arrive?
If your character was freshly injured or maimed in such a way that they need immediate medical treatment, your character will wake up fully healed. Old scars and injuries that have already had time to heal will still be present.
Can my character canon update?
Yes. To submit a canon update request, you can use the form found on the Player Requests page, where you can find more information.
The exact circumstances of arrival, in terms of how and why they are brought to Neocephalos, are opaque to characters. What you as a player need to know is that your character is drawn suddenly from their canon point and immediately wakes up in a new world.
Besides the first event, there aren't regular arrival logs. Players are free to manage their own arrival into the game.
Please view the arrival page for more detailed information on what your character experiences on arrival.
Does my character bring anything with them when they arrive?
Nope.
In the case of aids such as glasses, walking sticks, wheelchairs, and so on, these or equivalents can be obtained in game more or less immediately. If something needs more elaborate translation, like Tony Stark's arc reactor, feel free to assume a substitute has been made for them, or check in with the mods to brainstorm.
Can my character's pet come along?
At this time, the answer is no. But there may be functionality to bring them into the game in the future!
My character is injured or maimed at the time of their canon point. Will they still be when they arrive?
If your character was freshly injured or maimed in such a way that they need immediate medical treatment, your character will wake up fully healed. Old scars and injuries that have already had time to heal will still be present.
Can my character canon update?
Yes. To submit a canon update request, you can use the form found on the Player Requests page, where you can find more information.
CORPORATIONS
How does my character gets chosen for a corporation?
You as the player will decide what corporation claims your character during the app process. The application will ask you to justify this choice by identifying some innate quality or skill your character has that would allow them to excel, if they chose to or trained into it, in their corporation.
In-game, your character will spend a few days at least in a testing simulation in which a corporation lays their claim and makes your character an asset. Your character will be informed of this decision on their way out of the simulation.
Will it be difficult to develop CR with characters in different corps than mine?
Definitely not! Events will often treat assets as a unified group, and play with different divisions such as economic Tier and Prestige as well as corps, and provide opportunities for different intra-corp collaborations.
All assets will also have a shared CORD subnetwork (the standard network DWRP arrangement) to freely speak with one another. Location-wise, characters are not forced to live and work in the same megabuilding either, although it would be convenient to do so.
Are PCs the only assets that corporations have?
Yes and no.
There are native NPCs who might share the same kind of job, such as a pro fighter with Apex Legacies, an actor working with CDM, or popular public speakers or spiritual leaders who use Blindstar services, and assets may rub shoulders or collaborate with these NPCs who may enjoy and endure the same ups and downs of stardom.
However, the term 'asset' is used to describe PCs and set them apart due to the fact that they a.) are from another dimension and b.) experience a level of fascination, objectification, and discrimination than someone who is natively from Neocephalos. While Neocephalos is a hyper corpocratic world in which everyone is a product in one way or another, assets have an added layer of ownership imposed upon them by not being allowed to exist outside of a corporation.
Are there any NPC assets in general, then?
Yes!
Although it might not be immediately obvious, characters will come to learn that they are assets in a current cycle of imported people, and there has been a seven year gap between this cycle and the last.
There aren't many assets of previous cycles left, but they're around. If you try to ask after who they are, you'll find a lot of Neocephalos civilians aren't able to recall. But then again, they couldn't really tell you who was the hottest thing last month either, so that may just be the nature of the beast.
Can my character switch corps?
If you would like your character to switch corps, then this will need some mod discussion. We'll need to know if you want it to be motivated by your character or by external forces, and do some plotting around what the previous corp gets in return for releasing their asset to another. A switch should be considered on the level of a contained player plot, and involve some penalties along the way, but we hope this won't dissuade you so much as reinforce how binding this relationship actually is.
In addition to the above requirement, your character will not be able to switch again for at least twelve months. If at that stage they switch a second time, they will then be permanently assigned to a corp.
You as the player will decide what corporation claims your character during the app process. The application will ask you to justify this choice by identifying some innate quality or skill your character has that would allow them to excel, if they chose to or trained into it, in their corporation.
In-game, your character will spend a few days at least in a testing simulation in which a corporation lays their claim and makes your character an asset. Your character will be informed of this decision on their way out of the simulation.
Will it be difficult to develop CR with characters in different corps than mine?
Definitely not! Events will often treat assets as a unified group, and play with different divisions such as economic Tier and Prestige as well as corps, and provide opportunities for different intra-corp collaborations.
All assets will also have a shared CORD subnetwork (the standard network DWRP arrangement) to freely speak with one another. Location-wise, characters are not forced to live and work in the same megabuilding either, although it would be convenient to do so.
Are PCs the only assets that corporations have?
Yes and no.
There are native NPCs who might share the same kind of job, such as a pro fighter with Apex Legacies, an actor working with CDM, or popular public speakers or spiritual leaders who use Blindstar services, and assets may rub shoulders or collaborate with these NPCs who may enjoy and endure the same ups and downs of stardom.
However, the term 'asset' is used to describe PCs and set them apart due to the fact that they a.) are from another dimension and b.) experience a level of fascination, objectification, and discrimination than someone who is natively from Neocephalos. While Neocephalos is a hyper corpocratic world in which everyone is a product in one way or another, assets have an added layer of ownership imposed upon them by not being allowed to exist outside of a corporation.
Are there any NPC assets in general, then?
Yes!
Although it might not be immediately obvious, characters will come to learn that they are assets in a current cycle of imported people, and there has been a seven year gap between this cycle and the last.
There aren't many assets of previous cycles left, but they're around. If you try to ask after who they are, you'll find a lot of Neocephalos civilians aren't able to recall. But then again, they couldn't really tell you who was the hottest thing last month either, so that may just be the nature of the beast.
Can my character switch corps?
If you would like your character to switch corps, then this will need some mod discussion. We'll need to know if you want it to be motivated by your character or by external forces, and do some plotting around what the previous corp gets in return for releasing their asset to another. A switch should be considered on the level of a contained player plot, and involve some penalties along the way, but we hope this won't dissuade you so much as reinforce how binding this relationship actually is.
In addition to the above requirement, your character will not be able to switch again for at least twelve months. If at that stage they switch a second time, they will then be permanently assigned to a corp.
MISCELLANEOUS
Can my character get pregnant?
Yes, but only on a technicality.
All characters, PCs and the main population of NPCs, are by default infertile. In order to achieve pregnancy, both people involved need the required specific cybernetics and therapies to undo this block, and these are extremely difficult to acquire. Where childbirth exists in Neocephalos, it belongs to the extremely privileged.
Above table, children are not permitted as PCs or NPCs. While plots to pursue pregnancy are permitted, this will only be allowed on the proviso that the resulting child would be off-screened. By default, the children would be taken by a corporation. If this is circumvented, the guardians of the child would be retired.
For further context regarding the native population, childbirth is basically unheard of in favour of ectogenesis, which is done in controlled arrangements called kinbatches. You can read more about that on the Setting page.
Can characters, PCs and NPCs both, die?
Yes. And they often do.
However, player characters have an option they can pursue in the event of their character's death. If their character dies and the body is recovered and mostly intact, they can be turned over to Neocephalos for a kind of resurrection. This process takes one whole month to achieve, and when the character wakes, they will find anywhere between 50% to 100% of their Neocephalos memories gone, and incur some kind of psychological penalty that player and mods can collaborate on.
However, this is up to the player. If they would like their character to permanently die, no matter the state of their body, this very fragile process can simply fail to work. If a player would like their character to be brought back to life, then they must honour the above penalties that ensure death has a consequence and therefore has meaning.
It is not currently known if this is a service available to NPCs. It certainly is not advertised anywhere, in a world where everything is advertised everywhere.
Yes, but only on a technicality.
All characters, PCs and the main population of NPCs, are by default infertile. In order to achieve pregnancy, both people involved need the required specific cybernetics and therapies to undo this block, and these are extremely difficult to acquire. Where childbirth exists in Neocephalos, it belongs to the extremely privileged.
Above table, children are not permitted as PCs or NPCs. While plots to pursue pregnancy are permitted, this will only be allowed on the proviso that the resulting child would be off-screened. By default, the children would be taken by a corporation. If this is circumvented, the guardians of the child would be retired.
For further context regarding the native population, childbirth is basically unheard of in favour of ectogenesis, which is done in controlled arrangements called kinbatches. You can read more about that on the Setting page.
Can characters, PCs and NPCs both, die?
Yes. And they often do.
However, player characters have an option they can pursue in the event of their character's death. If their character dies and the body is recovered and mostly intact, they can be turned over to Neocephalos for a kind of resurrection. This process takes one whole month to achieve, and when the character wakes, they will find anywhere between 50% to 100% of their Neocephalos memories gone, and incur some kind of psychological penalty that player and mods can collaborate on.
However, this is up to the player. If they would like their character to permanently die, no matter the state of their body, this very fragile process can simply fail to work. If a player would like their character to be brought back to life, then they must honour the above penalties that ensure death has a consequence and therefore has meaning.
It is not currently known if this is a service available to NPCs. It certainly is not advertised anywhere, in a world where everything is advertised everywhere.
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Thanks!
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There are a few routes you can go. One would be to transform this aspect into an innate power he has, and app it as one of the three ability categories he is permitted. We allow for adjusting powers in this way to fit the translation from canon/CRAU into the game.
Otherwise, if you want to maintain the integrity of the Coin's importance, you can choose that the absence of the Coin translates into a Weakness like you describe or have no effect at all.
Whichever is fun for you! All of these options are valid interpretations.
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Thank you!
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I think beer and cheap wine both can be accessed at Tier 1, but anything else like harder spirits or better quality alternatives will be Tier 2 and 3.
Thanks for your questions. :)
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I'm interested in apping an OC but do original characters count towards a "canon" cap for OCs — as in can there only be five OCs in game and that's it, or is a canon cap excused for OCs?
Secondly, I understand the base limit is two characters in game per player, so could I in theory do both at once or would I have to pick which one to app first?
Thank you!
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1: No, OCs aren't limited by the canon cap. In theory, if there are enough OCs from a shared original universe and connected CR, then it may come into play. But otherwise, no.
2: You can app both at once!
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(Also sidenote, but is the player plot page intended to be friendslocked?)
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For the purposes of apping, I would describe what powers you intend for your character to develop over time, but if you would like to tweak or change these abilities based off whatever mentorship your character receives, you can make a request and we can take a look. The main thing is that the beginning potential would be an innate quality your character arrives with.
In the future, there's the potential for mechanics around around adopting abilities from scratch, but that won't be soon.
The player plot page is locked to members, so you'll be able to see it once you're in game.