Immortal Vigilance Frequently Asked Questions

Welcome to the FAQ center. Here you will find answers to questions we're commonly asked about the site and characters for the Immortal Vigilance game.

Rules on the forum are as binding as those made on the FAQ pages. Ignorance of the rules will not be an acceptable excuse

However, the content on the site is being rewritten, and the FAQ is under reworking.

General

What city is Immortal Vigilance set in?
Magid, Washington, at the northern tip of lake Chelan. For further details on our fictional city, please see the settings area.
How many characters are we allowed?
This is dependant on the sections, and will be covered under their respective FAQs.
How is time done here?
The current date is the same as it is in real life. As for what time it is here, well, we are in Washington State, USA, so go from there, please. The exceptions are the following: Pregnancies, hospital visits and torpor, all which are a third of the real time.

Experience

Characters gain 0.75 experience point for each day they log in and play. The Storytellers here do believe in giving XP for roleplay, so the more you RP your character, the more XP you can gain. Please note that we use the x*New Rating for all games.

To spend your XP, you need to post a single thread in your game's XP Request forum, which is found under the message boards.

Influences

We use Influence rules as per 'Laws of the Night' - Mind's Eye Theatre Live Action Roleplay Rules Pgs. 96 - 104. This means that we divide them into the following areas:

  • Bureaucracy
  • Church
  • Health
  • Finance
  • High Society
  • Industry
  • Legal
  • Media
  • Occult
  • Police
  • Political
  • Street
  • Transportation
  • Underworld
  • University

Please note that Garou and the Fera are not suited for dabbling in mortal society, so only Kinfolk can have Influences in WtA.

Concepts

So, you want to play someone with a doctorate, or an ex-military (highly restricted!) or a cop/ex-cop, etc? Then here's where to look for what stats you should invest in. The ages don't necessary correspond to all possible cases (for instance, if your character is from England, they start University far earlier), but it's a good rule-of-thumb.

Education

You are required to have all the "lower" levels of education before getting the higher education, of course.

High school/equivalent

  • Age: 17-19 (the lowest age for a PC is, however, 18).
  • Academics 1
  • Computers 1 - Not compulsory. Depends on the school.
  • Science 1

Bachelors Degree/equivalent

  • Age: 21-24
  • Academics 2
  • 1-2 in relevant Knowledges, for instance Business would need Law and Finance, perhaps Bureaucracy.

Masters Degree/equivalent

  • Age: 24-27
  • 2-3 in relevant Knowledges, for Instance Science 3, Law 2, Investigation 2 for someone who studies Forensics.

Doctorate

  • Age: 26-29
  • Academics 3
  • 4 in Major Knowledge(s)
  • 2 in Minor Knowledge(s)
  • 1s in a couple of others, where Science 1 is already required from the High School education.

Knowledges that could be justified from school

This doesn't mean that school is the only way to learn these Knowledges, but not all Knowledges would be taught in Colleges/Universities.

  • Academics
  • Bureaucracy (Politics, Law, Journalism, Business)
  • Computers
  • Enigmas (Philosophy, History, Mathematics)
  • Finance
  • Investigation
  • Law
  • Linguistics
  • Medicine
  • Occult (History, Philosophy, funky minors)
  • Politics
  • Religion
  • Research (Librarians, Doctorates, Students)
  • Science

Werewolf

Why don't you use Garou Lore?
Because the knowledge about yourself is covered in core abilities such as Rituals, Law, Politics etc.
Do Kinfolk need a guardian?
No, they don't. They may get one IC for one reason or another, but to force Garou to have the flaw Ward without getting points for it is not canon

Changeling

What is available for me to play?
Any of the original 9 kiths are available to play as are their kinian. Only houses from the core Changeling the Dreaming book may be selected. Certain kiths may be capped or restricted after a while since we are attempting to flesh out all the kiths instead of having a 100 sidhe and 2 boggans.
Can I transfer a character over from another chat to the Changeling Venue?
Unfortunately the Changeling Venue has stopped taking transfers.
You have a restricted and a banned list, what does it mean?
Restricted items may still be taken in certain cases. If there is particularly good reason to have such a thing then a Storyteller may allow you to have it. However, a Storyteller may at any time say no to an item on the restricted list and that is the end of the story no further discussion. Banned items are no discussion items, they will not be allowed period even if you managed to write a novel explaining why you should have the banned item it will still not be allowed.
Are there plans to allow Thallians, Shadow Court, Lost Houses etc etc etc?
At the moment the Venue is still very young. We wish to see the normal houses filled out first along with the most common kiths before we even think about expanding into other areas. We are firmly in the belief that there must be a good foundation to build upon before we start adding on.
How many character am I allowed to play in the Changeling Venue?
The limit right now is 2 kithian and 2 kinian. This number may be changed at any time if it is abused by multi-playing characters in the same room, sharing information between characters or any number of infractions.
I want to learn a new Art, how do I go about doing that?
New Arts may only be learned from another person. In other words you have to have a teacher. Once you have a teacher to teach you and there has been ample time spent in studying it (a few days doesn't cut it folks) then you may put in an experience purchase for the new Art. In this way we hope players will network with one another and help each other out.
I wish to raise an Art or Realm, how do I go about doing that?
Arts and Realms maybe raised through practice and study. On your own the time takes longer to learn it but it is possible. The most efficient way is as all things are, to have someone there to teach you how to get to the next level.
I wish to attain a 4th or 5th dot in an Attribute or Ability, How do I go about doing that?
Attaining these is a long sought after thing for most people in their life. Some work all their lives and never attain such a high standing. But this is a game so we won't hold you to quite so stringent rules.
Attaining that 4th dot will take a quite a bit of training to accomplish. It won't take up every waking hour but it certainly will take up a good bit of it. A 4th dot will require a background and preferably someone of equal or greater ability as you to train with, or in the case of knowledges, someone who is as knowledgeable in that particular field or has a library. At this level of learning other dots may be purchased in other abilities but only at the 1st or 2nd dot.
Attaining the 5th dot is completely different. This is something that most people work a lifetime to accomplish. Be it the body builder who spends 60 hours a week in a gym so he can be Mr. Universe or the Nobel prize winning scientist. In this pursuit there is no one to help you, you are achieving mastery, a signature all your own (think of it as the Iron Chef, your own signature style, it defines who you are as much as you define what it is). This should be an all consuming pursuit for you taking up most of your time and effort, you'll be eating, sleeping and living your chosen attribute or ability to raise it. In the time it takes you to reach your mastery very few other expenditures should occur and those expenditures should be related to your chosen field of mastery (ie training to 5 in athletics as a long distance runner would give you the ability to buy stamina but not warrant the purchase of a dot in brawl).
I wish to file a complaint, who do I file my complaint with?
We here in the Changeling venue take complaints very seriously and want to make sure each incident is scrutinized with care. Please see the ST page for exactly who you should file your complaint with. Before placing a complaint though do make sure it is a valid complaint and not a gut reaction. Take a day to cool down, then go back and look at the incident that occurred and see if it wasn't just a misunderstanding. If after further review on your part that you are absolutely sure then go ahead. Complaints about an Assistant ST goes to either a full ST or the HST. Complaints about a full ST goes to the HST, and complaints about the HST goes to one of the Admins.